Not Just a Sweet Nothing
by Mixer18
Summary: When Jack suggests the guys hit a strip club to pass the time while Zora hosts a party, Yusei strikes up a conversation with one of the dancers that makes her question the choices she's made in her life. Akiza now decides to duel Yusei. Who will prevail?
1. Chapter 1

_I'll try this story from Yusei's POV, like "Intoxicating Temptress."_

Ob this day in New Domino, things seemed to be going as smoothly as they could possibly be. Even in this building (which was mainly a clock repair shop run by our temperamental landlord, Zora), not much was going on. At least that's what I thought. I was tending to my runner when I heard a knock at the front door.

"On my way," I alerted to whoever was knocking. I smoothed out the wrinkles on my black and red patterned muscle shirt, pulled the door open, and who else did I see but Zora. Many times she came by, she was regularly nice to me and stern with my roommates, Jack and Crow. However, they weren't home at the time. So I could expect that she wouldn't raise her voice.

"It's a good thing that it's just you here, Yusei," the old woman said calmly. "This way, I won't have to raise my voice."

"What do you need?" I inquired of her.

"Well, I've got some company coming over tonight," Zora listed. "And while this is absolutely in no way your fault, I'm going to need you and the other two out of the building while they're here."

"How come?" I wondered.

"Let's just say these people are not particularly fond of those from the Satellite, like you, Crow, and Jack," she explained. "And I don't want them to think I've gone soft."

"How long do you need us to be gone?" I asked.

"The get-together starts at seven and could run past nine," Zora answered. "So it would be best if you three were out before seven."

"All right," I breathed. "I'll tell the guys when they get back." Just then, our female landlord pulled out a lightly crumpled envelope and handed it to me.

"What's this for?" I wondered aloud as I opened it to see there were several dollar bills of various denominations.

"I want you three to go out and have fun since I need you all out of here for a few hours," she answered back. "Spend it however you wish. Just try to use it all up."

"Can do," I promised as I stuck the envelope in my back pocket and closed the front door.

* * *

><p>I resumed to working on my runner to pass the time until Crow and Jack got back. I knew for a fact that Crow was out working. As for Jack, it was anybody's guess.<p>

The clock struck six pm, one hour until Zora's party or whatever would start. Crow came back first after putting in a nine hour day.

"Hey Yusei," he greeted me as he rolled his ride in through the open garage door. "What's the good word?"

"Zora's got some company coming over in about an hour and needs Jack, you, and I out of here while they're here," I put it bluntly. "And her friends belong to the contingent that does not like Satellite people."

"Bummer," the former thief commented as he pulled off his helmet. "What do you propose we do? There isn't anything cheap to do in this city." Upon his remark, I retrieved the envelope Zora gave me and placed on a nearby table.

"What's that?" Crow pondered, pointing to the envelope.

"Enough money to do whatever we want," I retorted. "But we're not deciding until Jack gets back." It was at that point the front door squeaked open and Jack stumbled in.

"No more need to be missing me any…more," he slurred. "Your belov-ed king has returned."

"Again?" Crow sweated. "How long have you been drinking today, Jack?"

"Not since I left the café," the once-champ slurred with better diction. "I left when Happy Hour got too depressing for me. So what do we have going?"

"Zora wants the three of us out of this place while she's hosting a get-together in less than an hour," I reiterated for Jack. "And she's given us some money to do anything we want."

"What do you propose we do, Jack?" Crow queried. "And nothing that lands us in the Facility."

"Strip club," Atlas blurted out. Crow and I looked at each other in confusion, then back at Jack. He wasn't really one to go to for suggestions. Then again, there was a first time for everything.

"Is that the alcohol talking or is that your idea?" I retaliated.

"It's my idea and it's a good one," Jack squelched, showing no signs of having been drunk in the first place. "I know a place, not too far from here." Crow and I just shrugged and went with it. We hopped on our rides and drove out with Jack leading the way.

* * *

><p>This place we were going to was definitely out of the city and all. I didn't think it was possible for a gentlemen's club (that's how I refer to them) to not be a part of a thriving night scene like New Domino's.<p>

"How much further, Jack?" I quizzed him as we reached the outskirts.

"We're getting close," he hollered back. "Just keep your eyes peeled for a blue and pink neon sign." I shook my head at his direction and focused my vision on what's ahead of me. It wasn't long until we see a glowing sign that read "Traveler's Excursion."

"Not much of a name," Crow commented as we parked our runners and hopped off.

"Don't mind the name," Jack shot back, strolling up to the entrance. "Gentlemen, what stands behind this very door are some of the finest legs and figures on this planet."

"Is this really even a good idea?" I solicited. "I mean, there are so many other things these girls could be doing that are more worthwhile. What we're doing is subjecting this lifestyle to them." Jack bunched his eyebrows together, stomped over, and drove his fist into my stomach.

"If you were going to bore us with all this upright stuff, you should've done it before we left," the blonde guy spat while snatching the envelope from my pocket. "No turning back now." Crow came by and helped me catch my breath after Jack had already gotten inside.

* * *

><p>When the two of us hobbled inside the swiveling door, we were met with a continuous loop of technosynthesizer music, the scent of cigarette smoke, spotlights moving around, and dancers swinging around on poles.

"In for a penny, in for a pound," Crow spoke. "Just try and have some fun." Once he was confident I could breath, he let me go and went to find Jack. I brushed my shirt off and headed for the bar at the right of the showroom. There wasn't anyone else there except the bartender on duty, who I assume was one of the dancers. I took a seat on one of the stools, facing the catwalk, where I saw Crow and Jack were sitting at the base. The sound of footsteps walking on heels gradually came closer to me and stopped.

"What'll you have, cowboy?" an enticing female voice asked me.

"I'm not much in the mood for drinking, Miss…uh…" I trailed off. The footsteps got quieter then louder. A squeak followed next to me. Sure enough, the bartender had come around and sat on the stool next to mine.

"Just call me Akiza," she replied. I craned my head to my right to see that she was dressed in a skintight gardener's outfit and black hot pants. Her hair was a thick magenta color and bundled up to house a rose.

"And what's your name, stranger?" the dancer asked me.

"The name's Yusei," I supplied as my answer. "Yusei Fudo."

"That's a peculiar name," Akiza commented. "But in a good way."

"Thanks," I retorted. "Let me ask you this: why do you do what you do?"

"Simple: it distances me from me from the disappointment," she uttered.

"What do you mean by that?" I wondered, looking at Akiza.

"Before I came here, I was a student at Duel Academy," Akiza recounted. "My parents sent me there to help me become a duelist. Problem is, although I had decent skills, I didn't have many friends that wanted to be around me. They knew that my father is on the city senate and has political influence. Eventually I got depressed, dropped out, and wound up here."

"What gimmick did you go by?" I followed up.

"Sexy gardener," she reported. "I loved flowers as a child and that's what I went with." I watched her eyes trail down to where I kept my deck.

"You're a duelist too?" Akiza pondered.

"Uh, yes, I am," I stammered. "My deck is made of cards other people threw away."

"I bet you're a good player," the dancer added as a compliment. "I want to see how good you are."

"Maybe that can be arranged," I tried to promise when I noticed Jack waving his arms at me. "Looks like I'm heading out." I hopped off my stool and headed for the door when I heard a pair of heels following me. Akiza held out her hand on my shoulder to stop me.

"Will I see you again?" she asked of me like a young child. I felt my heart warm up to her and I put my hand on top of hers.

"Who knows?" I tried to wrap up. "I certainly wouldn't mind talking to you again." I unlatched her hand from my shoulder and headed out to my runner.

_Well, what do you all think? I figured I may as well get another story started and have the premise ready whenever "Your Shot" is complete, which I want to have reach 100 reviews. Anyway, tell me what you think and hopefully I get a following with this story. _


	2. Chapter 2

_I want to get 100 reviews on at least one story._

The guys and I had spent a total of almost three hours away from Zora. I think that did the trick because when we got back, we didn't see any cars or loiterers hanging around the workshop. That Akiza girl I met at the bar kind of got to me. She wanted to have success in her life but doesn't believe she can get there. I hope she found something inside herself from my little talk with her.

* * *

><p>"So gentlemen, did my idea go over well with you?" Jack bubbled verbally. "At least I was brave enough to come up with something. You guys didn't object to it."<p>

"The only reason we didn't object to it was because it was the only idea out there," Crow protested. "I wasn't going to certainly do anything that would've gotten us kicked out or arrested."

"Your logic stands true," Atlas stood by in agreement. "What about you, Yusei? Did you change your tune when we got in?"

"I'm not going to say yes or no in regards to that," I tried to diffuse the situation. "I did manage to talk to one of the dancers. She was pretty, in my opinion."

"If you do see her again, just don't let her sink her claws into you," Jack yawned from atop the stairs. "She could be a spy for all we know, trying to get a better knowledge of our plans for the upcoming grand prix."

"Where are you going?" Crow spouted.

"I'm going to sleep, Mr. Carrot Top," the former champ zinged. "If there's one thing I believe in, it's getting a good night's sleep." His soliloquy ended right there and he sauntered up to get his rest.

"Carrot Top?" the Blackwing duelist quizzed. "Touché, Jack. Touché." He stretched his arms out and followed Jack's lead to hit the sack.

"I'll go to sleep soon," I informed my friend. "I'll just do some…..stuff for a little bit."

"All right bud," Crow yawned. "Take it easy."

* * *

><p>My watched showed twenty minutes until eleven o'clock as I stood in the kitchen, piling together various meats and vegetables into a small hoagie bun. Usually, whenever my mind was restless, I like to have a hearty sandwich. Calms me down. My mind was still stuck on that girl from the club. Was Akiza really content doing what she did? She said she wanted to be a duelist but didn't have anyone to help her progress. My friends and I didn't have any formal training and we have our reputations as turbo duelists. I demolished my hoagie in a few bites and called it a day right there.<p>

* * *

><p>As I slumbered away into a deep sleep, a late-night thunderstorm rolled in. On most occasions, I wouldn't even notice the rain come through until someone pointed it out to me. This night, in particular, was different. What jarred me from my slumber was a series of urgent knocks at the front door. I rolled onto the floor and slowly shuffled my way to the door, still hearing the knocking. As I passed Jack's doorway, a bottle flung past my face and shattered on the wall to my left. Good thing on my part that the bottle was empty.<p>

"Get the frickin' door, somebody," Jack commanded. "And if you don't, I won't hesitate to throw another empty Jack Daniels at you." I shook my head in the darkness that covered me from his view and continued to shuffle my way to the front door. Eventually, after shuffling for several minutes (teetering between consciousness and sleep), I undid the locks, pulled the door open, and got an unexpected surprise.

Before me stood Akiza, shivering like crazy, a backpack on her shoulders, an umbrella in one hand, and her only source of warmth and shield from the rain was a lightly tattered USC hooded sweatshirt.

"Akiza, what are you doing here?" I yawned questioningly. "Come inside. It's raining out there." I guided her indoors and relocked the door. She handed her backpack and umbrella off to me and I took them to the rack where we kept out helmets. The dancer slowly took in the sights around her as she slowly stepped down the ramp.

"Is this a workshop or something?" Akiza pondered aloud as I came back to her.

"It is," I verified her assumption. "Our landlord was nice enough to let my friends and I crash here. The only thing we have to be careful of is making her mad whenever we're working."

"You don't say," she commented back.

"How and why did you find me here?" I asked right to the point.

"Well, right before you and your friends drove off, I managed to snap a picture of your ride on my camera," Akiza explained. "After my shift was over, I gathered my things together and walked a good distance towards the city before one of those security cops stopped and gave me a lift. His face kinda struck me as odd; he had a scar that resembled stitches. Anyway, I showed him the photo of your ride and he brought me here."

"Well, that covers the how," I listed. "Now the why."

"I couldn't get the conversation you and I had out of my head," she continued speaking. "You were the only person that was willing to talk to me and not ask me put on a show. If you say you can duel using cards other people don't want, I would sure like to learn about dueling from you."

"Well, I'm not sure what I could teach you, but I'll give it a shot," I replied with an air of confidence. Her eyes lit up and she wrapped her arms tightly around me.

"Thanks a million Yusei," Akiza said in gratitude. "I won't disappoint you." I slipped out of her grasp and silently dashed upstairs. She didn't wait too long as I came back with a hand-knit blanket and pillow in my hands.

"What are those for?" she wondered.

"You should get some sleep," I told her, handing her the blanket and pillow. "You had a rough journey getting here."

"That's understandable," the dancer agreed. She turned her head around and saw a couch right behind her. After undoing the bun and letting her hair unfurl, Akiza got comfortable as I stuck the pillow (plenty fluffed) under her head and laid the blanket over her.

"Anything else I can do for you?" I asked her.

"Nothing that I can think of," she waved off. "This is more than enough."

"In that case, get all the sleep you can," I responded. "If you need me, just look for a door next to a pile of shattered glass. And for your sake, try to avoid the shattered glass."

"I'll keep that in mind Yusei," Akiza chuckled warmly. "Good night."

_Well, what do you all think of the follow-up? Did everyone seem like their normal selves or was there anyone out of their element? If you all want to see something out of the ordinary, just tell me what. Hope you're all enjoying this thus far. Keep on reading._


	3. Chapter 3

_This story's going over better than I thought._

After watching Akiza doze off to sleep for a few minutes, I made my way back upstairs. Again, when I reached Jack's doorway, yet another empty bottle zoomed past my face and shattered against the wall.

"Who was at the goddamn door?" Jack fumed, still asleep.

"Um…someone looking for directions," I disguised as a lie.

"Whoever the hell it was, at least they're gone," Atlas fumed again. "And clean up that glass. Someone could step on it." I looked down at the sharp shards of glass and merely swept it closer to the wall.

"I'll deal with it in the morning," I yawned as I got in my room and returned to sleep.

It didn't take long for me to go back to sleep. What didn't sit well with me was the passage of time during a deep sleep. It wasn't even 2:00 AM when I laid my head down and just like that, it was already sunrise. It felt like a second.

* * *

><p>The first of us to greet the sun was Crow. The only thing that I think makes him an "early bird" (insert rim-shot here) was all that time he spent looking after his orphans. I heard his footsteps and creaks of the floor get quieter and quieter, but then they got louder and came closer to my door. Following that were a few sotto knocks, just loud enough to jar me from my sleep.<p>

"You knocked?" I greeted him in a strained voice after opening the door.

"Did one of us leave the door unlocked last night?" the Blackwing duelist questioned me. "'Cause there's someone sleeping in the workshop." At first I didn't know what he was talking about, but after gathering my bearings together, it all came back to me.

"You don't need to panic," I said to placate his worry. "Follow me." I slipped out in the hallway, carefully nudged my door open to allow air flow, motioned for Crow to follow me, and tiptoed to the stairs that oversee our workshop floor, being cautious to not disturb Jack. When we got back to where Crow found our interloper, I looked down to her, still sleeping.

"Who is that girl?" he whispered to me. "And how in the world did she get in?"

"Her name is Akiza," I explained in a low volume. "She's…..the dancer I told you guys about."

"From the club?" Crow quizzed with widening eyes.

"You are correct, sir," I confirmed his ploy. "She got stuck on the chat we had and came here. She wants to be a duelist and learn from me."

"I'm not sure what to be feeling here: confusion or excitement," he commented, looking back at Akiza. "On one hand, we have an exotic dancer under our roof. On the other hand, I wonder why an exotic dancer wants to learn how to duel."

"Well, you can have as many thoughts as you want," I refuted. "But she's staying with us. I'm not sure how we should explain this to Jack." Right as Crow was about to make a suggestion, we heard Akiza begin to yawn and stretch out her limbs.

"Okay, she's waking up," I told him as we slowly walked down to see her. "Try and make her feel welcome."

"Understood, Yusei," he followed verbally. We got up closer to her while her eyes were still closed.

"Good morning," I greeted her to get her attention.

"Good morning to you as well," Akiza mirrored aloud as she noticed Crow was standing next to me. "Who's he?"

"This here is one of my two roommates, Crow," I gave as an introduction.

"Howdy," he said quickly. "Welcome to our home."

"Thank you," she said back in a kind tone. "Where's the other one of you guys?"

"Jack's still sleeping," Crow informed her. "Maybe he's still hung over from last night."

"Hung over?" Akiza questioned. "What do you mean?"

"Um, our friend likes to drink," I cleared up the confusion. "And he uses the empty bottles as projectiles."

"That explains the shattering sound I heard when I was sleeping," the dancer said pensively.

"I should be heading out," my orange-haired friend interrupted as he put on his helmet and brought his runner to life. "I'll see you two later." The garage door wheeled open and Crow sped out.

"Where's he going?" the magenta-haired young woman pondered out loud.

"Crow has a job," I pointed out. "So do I. Just not as frequently."

"What do you do?" Akiza asked again, sitting up.

"Mechanic for hire," I answered. My thoughts were shaken by a small grumbling sound coming from Akiza.

"Guess I'm hungry," she tittered. "Can't go wrong there since it took hours to get here last night."

"I can remedy that," I told her before I zipped up the stairs. "Hang tight." Quicker than a flash, I went through everything in our fridge and stole a few of Jack's doughnuts topped with chocolate and coffee icing. Nothing goes better with coffee than more coffee. I tossed them in the microwave and nuked them for a few seconds so they were soft and pliable. Once they were done, I brought them straight to Akiza.

"These look good," she told me. "One of the rules at the club was to make we didn't eat too much that threw off our figure. I can't remember the last time I had something like this." I saw her take a bite and her eyes formed a content look.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I got some glass to sweep up," I told her while backing up to the stairs. "And make yourself at home." A few steps up, I heard something.

"Wait Yusei," Akiza requested. She kissed the base of her fingers and blew it to me. This was a first for me. When has a girl like her ever blown me a kiss?

"Thank you for letting me stay," she continued. "No one's ever been this nice to me before." She took another bite of doughnut as I headed up the staircase.

"All in a day's work, Akiza," I thought to myself as I retrieved a broom and dustpan. "All in a day's work."

_There you have it: Akiza has been welcomed in by Crow and Yusei. The next part should focus on Jack finding out that Yusei let someone in. If anyone has other ideas, feel free to tell me. Keep reading and I'll try to keep you all enthralled._


	4. Chapter 4

_This thing is taking off quick._

I slowly creaked my way to the pile of broken glass, thank you Jack. So as to not wake him up, I swept up a few pieces at a time instead of a whole bunch. That didn't work.

"Who's there?" Jack mumbled, still half-asleep. "Yusei, is that you?"

"Yes Jack, it's me," I sighed, slightly irritated. "I'm sweeping up your shattered bottles."

"You bet your (hic) ass, you are," he hiccupped.

"Have you been drinking again?" I quizzed. "It's not even nine o'clock yet."

"That's not for you to decide," Atlas slurred. "I'm getting up." He stepped into his boots and trotted out and about.

"What's up with that guy?" I thought to myself. I shrugged it off and went back to sweeping. Not even two full sweeps passed when I heard that arrogant voice pound at my psyche.

"Yusei, get down here this instant!" Jack yelled at the top of his lungs.

"He found her," I surmised as I set down the broom and dashed to the workshop floor.

"What's going on here?" I asked from atop the stairs.

"Who….is she?" Jack snapped at me and pointing at Akiza.

"Oh boy…" I muttered under my breath. "This is the dancer I told you about last night. The one I talked to."

"What's your point?" he spat.

"Akiza is going to be staying with us while I help improve her dueling skills," I explained while putting my arm around her shoulders.

"I'm sorry you and I got off on the wrong foot," Akiza tried to say, holding her hand out to Jack. "I hope you and I can be friends." Her hand just waited in midair, hoping Jack would accept her treaty.

"No dice," the once-champ retorted. "I don't trust you yet. For all we know, you could be a spy trying to steal our secrets for the upcoming grand prix." He raised his nose in the air and ambled out the door like he was royalty.

"I don't think Jack likes me," Akiza lamented slightly.

"He'll grow to like you, trust me," I assured her, stepping in front of her. "He acts rude to Crow and me, but he has our backs and we have his." She resumed to munching her chocolate/coffee dipped doughnuts and I zipped away to get dressed for the day.

* * *

><p>It didn't take me long to don my signature blue blazer and the dark pants, but my hair is a different story. Every single day, I have to prop it up with gel and re-touch the streaks with a bright yellow dye. Lot of work.<p>

When I came back down to the workshop floor, Akiza was up and walking around, fully examining our work floor and the base in general. She zeroed in on a few tools, thumbed through some instructions, and eyed my runner.

"Enjoying the view?" I asked her from the bottom of the stairs.

"You guys have a lot of interesting stuff," she answered back. "And I saw you drive away on this thing."

"My runner?" I pointed out as a question. "What might surprise you is that I built that thing from scratch entirely."

"You don't say," Akiza breathed, brushing her hand across the swoop. "You have a way with your hands, Yusei Fudo. You have a way….with your hands."

"Well, thank you," I thanked her. "Now, if you don't mind, I gotta head out and grab something. So, you know….try and settle in." I snatched my helmet from the rack next to her backpack, put it on, got my runner going, and I sped out.

* * *

><p>I made my way into the city and parked my ride by a small curio shop. I've been to this place a few times before and I remember seeing something that now would make sense if Akiza had it. Besides, it's always nice to go into a place like this and just browse.<p>

The shop had a light cinnamon scent in the air, glass cases filled with all sorts of small items, and the walls were decorated with rare photos, paintings, and anything else that can be hung on a wall.

"Can I help you, my boy?" the elderly shopkeeper questioned me when I came through the door.

"I'm not sure if….actually, you can," I responded when I spotted what I was looking for. "I'll take that." This would be perfect for her.

"Superb selection, my son," the aging collector commented as he took it out and slipped in it a plastic sleeve. "Will that be cash or credit?" I reached into my coat pocket, pulled a few bills out, placed them on the display case, and took the sleeved item.

"Keep the change," I told the man confidently before leaving the shop. After I slipped it into my inside coat pocket, I revved my runner back to life and turned towards home.

* * *

><p>When I rolled my ride through the open garage door, I saw Akiza back on the couch no longer in her sweatshirt and instead wearing a loose Hard Rock Café t-shirt, sipping from a teacup, and leafing through a magazine.<p>

"Held down the fort for you," she greeted me. "And I helped myself to one of Jack's tea things. Just don't tell him."

"I'll make a note of that," I commented with my helmet now off my head. "How do you like it here so far?"

"It's great," Akiza exclaimed. "At the club, a few of the dancers and I shared an apartment for a while. Although, most of the times, one of us would not be home for dinner or to sleep."

"I see," I said, going along with her story. "What else?"

"Lately, the girls started using me to take on their late night shifts," she continued. "I suspect it was 'cause of the fact that I was the youngest girl there. Anyway, when you came by to see me, it was my third consecutive day of work."

"You must've been tired," I added.

"Power naps do wonders," she resolved. "After you left, I knew I had to see you again and the rest is history."

"When I went out earlier, I saw something that would mesh perfectly with your love of plants," I told her while pulling her gift. "I figured it would be something that would help you in your pursuit of becoming a respectable duelist." I placed it in her free hand.

"What is this?" the former dancer asked, turning the card over.

"It's a card known as Black Rose Dragon," I answered.

_That's right: in this timeline, Yusei is responsible for Akiza's signature card. Did you like it? Stay tuned and review if you choose._


	5. Chapter 5

_Is this story any good, in terms of structure?_

"Black…..Rose….Dragon," Akiza enunciated the card's name, examining it. "And you say this is mine?"

"That it is," I repeated for emphasis. "Every duelist needs their trademark and now you have your own." I could tell that Akiza was overjoyed at this. How could I tell? She used her shirt as a makeshift tissue to dry her tears.

"First you take me in, and now you've given me a powerful card with which I can build my deck around," the dancer sobbed in joy. "I don't know to say, except—" She struggled to complete her thought and instead, leapt off the couch and wrapped her arms around me in a binding hug.

"You're the best thing that could ever happen to a girl," she said in my ear.

"No sweat," I wheezed. "But I'd like it if I could breathe now."

"I'm sorry," Akiza quickly apologized while smoothing out my blazer and muscle shirt. "I'm just overcome with so many emotions, Yusei. It's hard to keep them inside me and do nothing."

"I'm glad you like the card," I retorted back, catching my breath and regaining my composure. "I'll have to leave you alone for a while."

"What? How come?" she asked disheartened.

"I have a job, just like Crow," I reminded her. "When I'm not here working on my ride, I'm out in the city, fixing things for other people." I located my toolbox and placed in the compartment located in the crescent.

"Are you sure you have to go?" Akiza fidgeted nervously. "You can just stay here, with me."

"Come now, Akiza," I tried to reassure her. "That card didn't come cheap. Here, money isn't handed out by drunk and horny guys. We have to work for it." She bowed her head as I grabbed my helmet off the floor.

"I'll come back, I promise," I continued. "Just be calm." I hopped back on my runner, brought it to life, and revved out the open garage door.

* * *

><p><em>(To an omniscient POV)<em>

"Okay, okay, don't panic," Akiza said, feeling anxious. "He has a job to do in order to make money. I have to understand that." Her breathing rate teetered close to frantic, and she was trying her best to stay under control.

"I have…to resist…..the temptation," she strained, doing whatever she could do to stay sane. "I can't do it." As if her right hand had a mind of its own, she stepped over to her backpack, reached into it, and pulled out an open pack of a cigarettes and a pink colored lighter.

"It's the only way," she uttered feeling embarrassed. Akiza placed one stick in her mouth and just as she was about to light it, she spied a smooth wooden chest sitting on the other side of the workshop.

"What could be in that? And why didn't I notice it before?" she wondered in her head after spitting her cigarette back into its pack and tossing it, plus the lighter, into her backpack. The dancer skipped over to the chest, pushed the lid open, and became amazed by what she saw inside.

The chest contained countless cards that Yusei, Jack, and Crow came across in their dueling careers but had no use right away. Looking closer, Akiza spied a few cards that piqued her interest.

"What do we have here?" she said to herself, picking up a few cards. "Evil Thorn, Twilight Rose Knight, and Mark of the Rose. I could use these." The dancer lost track of time after that, digging through the trunk and picking out cards to upgrade her deck. They were only plant or plant oriented cards and Akiza didn't think the guys had any major use for them anyway.

"I'm sure they won't mind," the dancer thought to herself, stacking her new and improved deck together. "Look out world: here comes Akiza, with a more powerful deck." She shoveled the leftover cards back inside the chest and walked back to her couch.

"I suddenly feel…greasy," she spoke in a hushed tone, looking over every square inch of her arms. "I don't think they'll mind if I use their shower. After all, it's just me here." Akiza reached in her backpack and pulled another pair of shorts, a tank top, and bar of soap, a shampoo bottle, and some conditioner spray.

"Now where's their bathroom?" she pondered to herself, going off in search of hot water.

* * *

><p><em>(Back to Yusei's POV)<em>

As soon as I was finished with my work for the day, I hopped on my ride and quickly got on the fast track to home. Akiza sounded like she might have anxiety issues or something before I left. I had to make sure she was fine by herself.

When I got back inside the workshop and parked my runner, I noticed that Akiza wasn't on the couch anymore, but her stuff was still by the coat rack. That's when I noticed a faint but sweet and fruity scent wafting through the air, plus the sound of running water.

"She must've found the shower," I concluded to myself. "It's probably been a while since she might've last scrubbed." I hung my helmet up and made my way up to the kitchen. Working all day sure can build up an appetite.

I stacked together another hoagie stuffed with roast beef and chopped peppers. In case you haven't figured it out yet, Crow got the idea to make his own spicy pepper sauce after watching every spicy food challenge from that "Man v. Food" show. Any of the leftovers were fair game to be eaten.

After I took a few bites of my sandwich, I heard the running water sound trail off and eventually stop. Akiza must be finished by now. A few minutes passed until I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Akiza emerged in a tight tank top that showed off her…..ahem, assets and sand colored short shorts.

"So, what do you think? Do I look polished?" the dancer eagerly quizzed me.

"I…..uh….um….er…" I tried to piece words together but couldn't. Either Akiza was flaunting her looks around or perhaps this is how she looks off the clock. I think I like it.

_I'm sorry for switching to a different POV for a spell, but it was the only way I could advance the story and reveal a side of Akiza not seen yet by Yusei. Hope you all liked this part. Review if you wish and stay tuned._


	6. Chapter 6

_I hope you all enjoyed "Your Shot."_

"I take it that means you like how I look," Akiza barged in my mindless yammer. "But you're the first guy to see me 'out of my element' so to speak." Without really thinking, I brought my sandwich up to my mouth for another monster bite.

"Note to self: eating chili peppers or anything based with peppers doesn't necessarily make you brave," I wheezed, desperately trying to soothe my mouth. "But they taste good." I could tell that Akiza wasn't really following me.

"What on Earth are you talking about, Yusei?" the dancer shot at me. "Are you a chili-head?"

"Not in the slightest," I parried back. "I was just stupid enough to take from some of Crow's chili reserves and eat it." She cocked her head at me, a sign of obvious confusion.

"All right, look," I said as I opened the refrigerator door and signaled for her to come over. "Crow's a fan of a show called 'Man v. Food,' which showcases eating challenges."

"I'm following," Akiza said to follow.

"He particularly took an interest in anything that was spicy hot," I continued to explain. "From that point, he decided to create various sauces, using a base pepper for different flavors. You got stuff made from jalapeño, habanero, and even ghost chili."

"Ghost chili?" Akiza repeated questioningly.

"Yeah, at one time it was the hottest pepper in recorded history," I shot back. "Roughly speaking, one ghost chili is equal to one hundred jalapeños."

"Wow," she simply commented.

"Wow indeed," I sighed back. "On a different note, were you all right by yourself while I was gone?"

"Yes, peachy even," Akiza stammered quickly. "No troubles…here." Something didn't seem right. Her eyes shifted back and forth while she was talking. Maybe she had trouble being alone. I couldn't tell though.

"I think I'll leave you alone," she quickly added before slowing backing towards the stairs.

"All right, I'll see you later, I guess," I replied. Akiza's more mystery than I initially gave her credit for, but that intrigued me. One of the things I like about women is a mystery they have men solve about them.

* * *

><p><em>(Omniscient POV)<em>

Nightfall came as quick as sunrise did. Yusei didn't see much of Akiza after watching her walk away from side-stepping his question of her handling loneliness. When he came to say good night to her, Akiza was already sleeping like a rock.

"Perhaps she was bushed or something," the former Satellite duelist said in his head as he walked to see her. "And why do I smell smoke? Maybe someone was burning something. I don't know." Yusei gently pulled on her blanket, making sure she didn't budge and also giving her warmth. Unbeknownst to him, Akiza had to take a few puffs from a cigarette before hitting the sack. It helped her ease the stress of her anxiety problems.

"Sleep tight, Akiza," Yusei mouthed silently before heading up to lay his head down for the night.

When the next morning came, the first one up to greet the dawn, strangely enough, was Akiza. She stood outside to relish the cool early dawn air, hoping it would clear her mind.

"My deck is more powerful now," she told herself, holding the stack of cards tightly in her grasp. "I just know, somewhere out there, someone is going to challenge me. Let's just hope I'll be confident before then." She stepped inside, just in time to see Crow coming down the stairs.

"Hey there, Akiza," the Blackwing duelist greeted her. "I hope you're enjoying your stay with us. You may have only been here a few days, but I like you more than Jack already."

"Well, at least that's something," she added on. "How goes your….chili venture?"

"It's still a work in progress," Crow answered. "But it does have one unique upside."

"And what might that be?" Akiza queried, coming closer to him.

"I make Jack taste it whenever he's drunk," he beamed deviously. "The capsicum stuff is alcohol soluble, so it doesn't really affect him much. Plus, after his hangovers, he has little recollection of being my test monkey."

"Cunning, aren't you?" the dancer and duelist-hopeful complimented him.

"I try," the former thief waxed bashful. "Hold the fort down, okay?"

"You got it," she said back after Crow hopped on his ride and dashed out to his job. "I hope so." Akiza looked down in her open backpack and saw her cigarettes, laying there, silently calling out to her.

"What if Yusei sees me?" she questioned herself, pulling her shaking right arm down. "I just have to be strong. Any vice can be kicked." The young woman made her way up to the kitchen to put on some coffee. While the brew was percolating, Akiza thumbed through the contents of the fridge, looking for more of those doughnuts.

"Nothing," she breathed, slightly disappointed. "Oh well." Her stomach began to call out for sustenance. It was a sound Akiza was used to. When she worked as an exotic dancer, there were times when she couldn't afford to have three meals a day. Besides, she fell under the notion that food would slowly take away the figure she worked so hard to have multiple guys gawk at.

"Morning," Yusei greeted her out of nowhere. "Sleep well?"

"It's just you, Yusei," Akiza panted, her heart palpitating rapidly. "You scared me."

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I thought you might've heard me coming." The guy looked down to see Akiza rubbing her stomach in hunger.

"You look hungry," the former marked criminal pointed out. "Need something to tide you over?"

"If it's not too much trouble," the dancer requested shyly. Those were the magic words, since Yusei pulled out a few eggs from the fridge, fired up the griddle on the stove she was leaning next to, and cracked the eggs onto it.

You can't really go through a day without eating breakfast," he said. "Why else do they call it breakfast?"

"I guess you're right," she chuckled lightly. When the machine beeped, Akiza turned around poured enough for her and Yusei. After all, it was the least she could do for now.

"This guy is really friendly and caring," the dancer thought to herself. "I have to find out more about him."

_Well, there you have the sixth chapter. As for when Akiza actually duels in this story, I have it already in mind. I can only hope that who it is may throw you all for a loop. Review if you wish. The love and romance will come into play soon._


	7. Chapter 7

_This part should be mostly or all omniscient POV._

"You are some other kind of wonderful, Yusei," Akiza praised him with a mouth full of egg. "Maybe it's 'cause I haven't had a decent breakfast in a while." Whenever she couldn't jam food in her mouth, Akiza gulped down some of her coffee.

"I don't think of myself as wonderful, as you put it," the guy waved off. "I live my life one day at a time, just like everybody else. I'm just glad to be of help to you." His eyes looked off to the side as he took a sip from his cup.

"Well, you're kind enough to give me a stable place to call home, give me a one-of-a-kind monster card, and now this," she said before finishing off her meal. "I'm going to have to do something to repay you."

"It's not really necessary, but I won't stop you," Yusei interjected, taking Akiza's plate. Unknown to the both of them, things were shaping up for Akiza to demonstrate her improved deck to the guys.

* * *

><p><em>(Meanwhile, at the strip club…)<em>

"Where in God's name is that Izinski girl?" an impatient man growled while he tossed a bottle of beer against the wall. "Doesn't she know the consequences for going AWOL?"

"I know she was here the night before last night," a dancer tried to explain. "She chatted up some guy with a strange black hairstyle, and I know I saw her clock out after her shift was over."

"Are you making excuses for her again, Misty?" the man angrily quizzed. "Or are you being truthful?"

"I am being truthful, sir," she pleaded. "When I got back home, her shoes were gone, so she must've decided to leave or something. Why is it so important you want her back here?"

"She drew the biggest crowd," the angry guy spat, going over to a door labeled "do not enter." "And if you say she talked to some jerk with strange hair, then that's where my search should start."

* * *

><p><em>(Back at the Poppo Time building)<em>

The morning came and went as quick as it did. Akiza knew she had to do something to pay Yusei back for all the kindness he gave her. While nothing was crossing her mind at the time, she decided to let it come to her. With Crow at work and Jack either imbibing in spirits or caffeine, it was just the dancer and her emotional savior in the workshop. While Yusei continued to work on his ride, Akiza decided to take advantage of her newfound downtime by watching some of her favorite shows on the Internet. One might think that given Akiza's age of 19 (and yes, I stand by that), she would be interested in stuff from MTV but she wasn't. The dancer had a taste for humorous cartoons like _SpongeBob_, _the Simpsons_, _Ed Edd n_ _Eddy_, and _Family Guy_.

"I missed this," Akiza commented as she scrolled through the monitor on the computer Yusei used to analyze engine schematics. "Chalk up another act of kindness for Yusei."

"Watch as much as you want," the laser marked former Satellite replied. "The guys and I rarely have time to use that thing for entertainment."

"Will do," Akiza thanked him, popcorn pieces flying in her mouth. Whatever she was watching, the dancer tried to keep quiet whenever something hilarious came on. When she couldn't, she was laughing until her sides ached.

"Holding up?" the mechanic quizzed the cackling girl.

"You better believe it, buster," she snapped back between laughs. "I'm not one of those sad girls who are addicted to _Teen Mom_ or_ Pregnant at 16_. I like shows with comedic value. Reality shows that protrude on people's personal lives or problems take away from talented story writers."

"That's another thing you and I have in common," Yusei said, coming up behind Akiza. "But you have to realize one thing: producers will go anywhere that can bring in huge ratings. With big ratings comes big money."

"I know that," the dancer shot back. "I only say is because I was close to being forced to participate in one. When I was starting out as an exotic dancer, a team of producers had convinced the owner to shoot a reality series at the club."

"What happened that changed it all?" Yusei inquired.

"Every dancer stood up and requested complete anonymity if this series went on as planned or no deal," Akiza explained. "The producers decided we weren't worth the trouble and the deal fell apart. For all we knew, our families might come across the show and recognize us."

"That's a positive," Yusei commented. "What happened after that?"

"Nothing really," the magenta-haired women shrugged. "The owner, who's also the manager, just let it go."

* * *

><p><em>(On a road leading into New Domino…)<em>

"All right Akiza, just try and stop me," the angry man thought as he was driving to the city. "You made my club a hotspot and it's gonna stay that way." As he zoomed toward the metropolis, a pair of lights flashed behind the guy. The car pulled over to the side of the road with the police motorcycle bringing up the rear.

"Okay wise guy," the stitch scarred officer quizzed the angry man. "Where's the fire?"

"I wasn't speeding," the guy tried to hide. "I mean, what's the problem?"

"Well, for starters, you have a busted taillight," the officer listed as he scribbled something down on a notepad. "Plus, your car is venting a high amount of exhaust. And you're in a no-air-pollution zone. I'm just giving you a warning, provided you get your car looked at soon."

"Fine, fine, I'll get it looked at," the man jabbered. "By the way, can you help me find this guy?" He pulled out a snapshot of Yusei from the night he and his friends went to the strip club.

"I know that guy," the officer answered quickly.

"Then tell me who he is and where I can find him," the driver barked.

_(Back at Poppo Time)_

The sun was making its requisite descent in the sky. Akiza had gotten her fill of funny shows and went on to watch some _South Park_. Crow had managed to bait Jack into another pepper taste test after the former champ drank himself under the table.

"I'm not sure, man," Atlas slurred his words together. "I can't really place the taste."

"You're not supposed to figure out the taste, numbskull," Crow berated. "What I want to know is if it's scorching or not." Still under the influence, Jack placed his hand in thought and stupidly nodded yes, even after Crow had walked away.

"This is kinda funny," Akiza chuckled as she and Yusei watched on as Jack continued nodding. At that point, someone was pounding against the front door.

"I got it," Yusei said as he went up to open the door. "Yes?"

"Is your name Yusei Fudo by any chance?" the knocker inquired.

"Yep, and who are you?" the mechanic asked. At that point, he was lifted up off the ground by his collar.

"The name's Slick, bud," he shot at him. "Now where's Akiza?"

_It's all set: Slick, who does own the club where Akiza came from, has come looking for her. He's pretty steamed at her. Will he succeed and steal Akiza back? You'll have to stay tuned to find out. Review if you wish._


	8. Chapter 8

_Still in omniscient POV._

"I'll ask you again: where…..is…..Akiza?" the angry club hollered in Yusei's face. "You know something about my best dancer and I want to know what it is."

"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about," Yusei lied to hide Akiza. "Now can you stop with the spitting and put me down?" While their confrontation was going on, the dancer was walking down from the kitchen with Crow to see what the yelling was about.

"What's all the commotion about?" the Blackwing wielder quizzed before he was yanked back up the stairs.

"Don't go down there," Akiza warned him. "That's my boss Yusei's talking to."

"Your…..boss is the guy at the door?" Crow retorted. "Why is he here?"

"He must've learned that I left the club and has come to bring me back," the dancer explained. "Slick also has anger management problems, particularly involving anything belonging to him."

"So why don't you just go down there and tell 'im off?" the former thief suggested.

"That has about as much chance as Jack admitting he has a drinking problem," Akiza compared. "But there is one thing that might work." Crow cocked his head at her remark, to which she pulled out her newly-redesigned deck in order to make her point.

"You're gonna duel him?" he wondered.

"Slick has a reputation for taking high risks in games of chance," the dancer continued. "If I can beat him, he should leave us alone."

"Sounds like a plan," Crow commented. When the two got back to the workshop floor, they found Yusei lying face down, beaten and battered by Slick.

"Yusei!" the dancer and Crow shouted at the same time, running to tend to any injuries he may have sustained.

"What did you do to him?" Akiza posed to her boss, tears streaming from her eyes.

"Relax, he'll be fine," Slick smoothed over the dancer. "If I wanted to put his life in jeopardy, I'd have used my iron club."

"Nobody lays their hands on my pal and gets away with it!" Crow hastily shouted as he ran up to the club owner, trying to avenge Yusei. His hastiness got the better of him as Slick swiftly jammed his knuckles into Crow's neck.

"Are we going to have any more problems here?" Slick calmly asked, straightening out his hand he used to hit Crow.

"Yes: a dueling kind of problem," Akiza clarified, standing up over Yusei. "I won't stand by and let you hurt my friends."

"You're kidding, right?" the owner snickered. "This has to be some kind of joke."

"It's no joke," Crow coughed, quickly recovering from the blow he just suffered. "She wants to duel you." The dancer nodded to add the final point of emphasis to Crow's statement.

"All right then," the sly man agreed, cracking his knuckles. "I accept your challenge."

* * *

><p>The four of them sauntered outside to the moonlight-bathed courtyard in front of the workshop. Slick stood on one side, armed with his deck and duel disk, not looking very worried. His rationale was that he believed he could easily beat Akiza. On the other side, Akiza stood not too far from the front door, braced her deck and the duel disk Crow used on his runner since she didn't have one on hand. Off to the side were Crow and the still unconscious Yusei, who was propped up against the wall.<p>

"Rock him like a hurricane," the Blackwing wielder tried pun a famous music lyric.

"The stakes are as follows," Slick laid out the parameter. "Should I win, you come back to the club and speak nothing of your desertion. However, if you win, I'll leave you alone for you to pursue your own dreams. Sound fair?"

"Good enough for me," Akiza agreed. It seemed simple enough: win and stay or lose and go home. Both competitors switched on their gear, drew five cards, and began their match with 4,000 points each.

"I'll kick things off," Slick stated, drawing to hold six cards."I'll put two cards face-down and play Grand Tiki Elder. That'll do."

"In that case, allow me to take the lead," Akiza shot confidently, drawing her sixth card. "I call in Botanical Lion." From out of a blue vortex emerged something that resembled the king of the forest, only more plant-like.

"Stop right there," Slick interjected as one of face-down cards flipped up. "I play my Hidden Soldiers trap."

"What's that do?" the dancer wondered, feeling lost. "I can't remember."

"Since you called up a monster, his trap allows him to summon up to a 4 star dark monster," Crow shouted from the sideline.

"Your birdbrain friend is right," Slick answered, holding up a card. "Now I bring in Melchid the Four-Face Beast." Next to the tiki thing shot up a monster with a rotating array of masks.

"Your monsters don't scare me," Akiza said confidently. "Botanical Lion attacks your elder. By the way, it gains 300 ATK points for every plant monster I have in play." The plant beast's strength jumped to 1,900 as it surged forward.

"Your attack has been rerouted, courtesy of Absolute End," Slick interjected with his other trap card coming into play. "Now your attack is directed towards me." The lion curved away from Grand Tiki Elder and straight for the club owner.

"Even better," Akiza said upbeat. "Now you'll lose half your life points."

"That's what you think," Slick responding, dropping a card from his hand into his graveyard just as Botanical Lion reached him. "By discarding Kuriboh, I take no damage from this attack." The infamous fur-ball cane out of nowhere and took the hit from the plant beast.

"Smart move on his part," Crow commented in his mind. "He saved his monster and avoided taking a major hit."

"Fine, I end my turn," she said, feeling frustrated.

"Wait a second," the former thief said under his breath. "Melchid AND Tiki Elder? Akiza, be ready."

"Once again, your birdbrain friend is right," Slick uttered greasily, drawing to hold two cards. "He's not as dumb as he looks." All Crow could do was clench his fist in anger.

"There's a monster that can be special summoned, provided I have Tiki or Melchid as one of the sacrifices," the owner explained, holding up another card. "But I have them both on the field."

"You don't mean…" Akiza chattered through her teeth.

"Yes, I do," the angry guy said. "Behold, Masked Beast Des Gardius!" Both of his monsters faded into a black hole and out came a nightmarish fiend, armed with large claws and three masks.

"Des Gardius, attack!" he commanded his beast as it slashed at Botanical Lion, wiping it out in one swipe and reducing Akiza's score to 2,600.

"Stand strong," Crow shouted from the sideline, trying to boost morale.

"Can she even stand up?" Slick asked aloud. "That's all she wrote for this turn."

_Akiza's fallen behind after just one round and up against the strongest of all the Mask monsters. Can she turn it around or end up having to leave Yusei? Stay tuned to find out. Review if you choose to. Please do._


	9. Chapter 9

_Let's get on with the duel._

Akiza sat huddled on the ground, still reeling from the last attack. Just when it looked like she might have the upper hand early on, Slick never lost his cool and managed to summon a powerful beast.

"I can't do this," she sobbed. "That thing's too powerful."

"Don't give in, Akiza," Crow rallied from the sideline. "You still have a chance. Just don't lose sight of what you're fighting for."

"He's right," the dancer told herself, standing up and drawing to hold six cards again. "This is my opportunity to show that I have skills." She gazed over her hand, trying to come up with a way to stand up against Des Gardius. Her best option would be to call up the monster Yusei gave her, Black Rose Dragon. Unfortunately, she didn't have any tuner monsters in her hand. All she could do now was play defense and hope for the best.

"I place one monster face-down in defense mode and leave it at that," she concluded her move.

"Running scared already?" Slick jokingly asked to rattle her. "Looks like this is already in the bag." He drew to hold two cards, one of which would seriously hurt her chances of winning.

"Do you see what I hold here?" he asked again, waving the card in between his fingers. "This little beauty's gonna let me get to your life points, even if your monster's hiding in defense." The owner placed it in an open spell/trap card slot and sure enough, Akiza caught his drift.

"Anything but that," she begged emotionally.

"'fraid so," Slick negated verbally. "With Stop Defense, your monster has no choice but to stand up and fight." Akiza gulped as she saw her defensive monster, Lord Poison, pop up in a veil of sparkles. This wasn't part of her plan but she wasn't about to let her monster get massacred.

"Go Des Gardius!" the owner commanded his monster. "Knock her monster out of the park!" The fiend raised its claws, ready to strike. Quickly thinking, Akiza looked at her hand, selected a card, and discarded it to play its special effect.

"By discarding Hedge Guard, my monster can't be destroyed in battle this turn," the dancer explained under pressure. The fiend's claws swiped at Lord Poison, who stood there, not moving a muscle.

"That may be so," Slick hissed. "But your monster has to give up half its attack strength to do so." Akiza gulped again and braced herself for the recoil as her score dropped down to 50 life points. Meanwhile, Yusei was just coming out of his beaten stupor to find himself outside in the night environment.

"What in the world's going on?" he moaned, trying to regain his composure. "Where am I?"

"It's about time you got up," Crow greeted him. "Akiza's fighting that son-of-a-bitch so she can stay here with us."

"And what happens if she loses?" Yusei followed up.

"She leaves, no questions asked," the former thief said in a straight and emotionless voice.

"All right," she breathed, still holding her own. "I'm up." Akiza's hand now held five cards and she just drew the card she was looking for.

"Godspeed, Akiza," Yusei thought to himself. "You can do this."

"I call in Twilight Rose Knight," she declared as a purple armored knight armed with a sword faded onto the field. "Now I can summon an extra plant monster to join it, like my Evil Thorn!" Next to the knight came a life-size thorny bulb attached to a stem.

"You may have more monsters than me, but it makes no difference," Slick resisted. "You can't beat Des Gardius."

"Yes, I can," Akiza countered while she waved her arm above her, initiating a Synchro Summon. "And Black Rose Dragon will help me do it." From a pulsating green stream of light and three rotating rings came a malevolent-looking dragon, wearing a rose on its neck and sporting several vines like tentacles.

"She did it," Yusei said to himself in regards to Akiza actually getting her best monster on the field. "But don't lose it so quickly."

"I activate my dragon's special ability," the dancer explained, pulling a card out of her graveyard. "By removing a plant monster from play, I can reduce your monster's attack strength to zero." The tentacle-like vines went after Des Gardius and squeezed it into submission.

"All right my pet, sic 'em!" she commended her monster. The dragon built up a ball of energy in its maw and launched at the fiend, disintegrating it and bringing Slick's score to 1,600. Even after his monster left the field, he didn't seem worried at all.

"Boo-yahh…" she celebrated, having rid the field of that walking nightmare. "Wait, how come you're not concerned that Des Gardius is gone?"

"Because of its unique ability, that's why," the owner explained, pointing to the three masks left behind. "When Des Gardius goes to the graveyard, I can play The Mask of Remnants from my deck." Akiza, Crow, and Yusei watched as the three masks combined to make another one with horns. Even worse, the mask shot straight onto Black Rose Dragon.

"What've you done to my dragon?" the magenta-haired woman demanded to know.

"When my remnants mask is played via Des Gardius' effect, your monster is forced to switch sides," Slick listed as Akiza's monster stomped over opposite her. She quickly looked at her hand, hoping to find a solution to rescue her signature dragon. Fortunately, there was something she could do.

"I play the spell, Mind Control," the dancer continued her turn. "With this card, Black Rose Dragon's coming home." Its eyes flashed and it returned to Akiza, still wearing that mask.

"Now to break your hold on my beast," she said again, picking another card to play. "I use De-Synchro!"

"Perfect. Now she can split her dragon into the two monsters she used to summon it," Crow said to add explanation. Everyone watched as Black Rose Dragon glowed and disappeared, destroying the mask in the process, as Twilight Rose Knight and Lord Poison came back in defense position.

"I'm still not done," Akiza interrupted. "By sacrificing my Evil Thorn, I can slam you with 300 points of damage and reinforce my monster count." The first thorn exploded, shooting its thorns like missiles and reduced Slick's score 1,300. After that, two new thorns came up in attack position.

"Are you ever gonna finish?" the owner asked, feeling impatient.

"Yes, I will," Akiza added as she placed one card on the field face-down. "Word to the wise, with Twilight Rose Knight in play, you can't attack of my plants."

"By not summoning her dragon again, Akiza's managed to survive another round, provided her face-down card is one that can stop Slick from attacking," Yusei surveyed the situation.

"Finally, it's my turn," the angry man uttered, drawing to hold two cards. "You may have managed to wipe my Masked Beast off the field, but I can still win without it." He placed a card face-up in the monster card zone and out came a centaur armed with a spear and shield, ready for battle.

"Go Exarion Universe!" the owner hollered. "Wipe out that knight and bring Akiza back to me! By the way, my centaur friend can inflict piercing damage by reducing its own strength by 400." The beast raised its spear and struck Akiza's Rose Knight, almost effectively winning the duel.

"I play Dimension Wall!" she declared, her last trap flipping up. "Now the damage is reverted back to you." Slick was taken by surprise as he saw his life points drop to 900.

"My turn!" the dancer continued, drawing to pull the one card to bring her victory. "I play The Warrior Returning Alive. With it, I can rescue my fallen knight." She reached into her graveyard, pulled the aforementioned card out, and put into back into play.

"Sucks to be you, eh Slick?" Crow gloated from the sidelines.

"My thoughts exactly, Crow," Akiza agreed. "Now I bring Black Rose Dragon back into play!" She beamed as she watched the knight and Lord Poison tuned to create her signature beast.

"Now, by removing my Evil Thorn from play, I can render your centaur thing helpless," she reiterated as her dragon devoured the thorny plant bulb and holding down Exarion Universe. "Go my beast! Finish 'im off!" The dragon built up the final blast in its maw and hurled it at the centaur, annihilating it and bringing Slick's score down to zero. The owner watched as he saw his monster bite the dust. To add insult to injury, his loss meant Akiza could stay with Yusei and his friends. He shook off the shock of his defeat and went over to congratulate her.

"Well, Akiza, you beat me," he said in a calm and submissive tone. "Congratulations. Aside from you winning your freedom, I believe I owe you something." He reached into his suit-vest, pulled out a sealed envelope, and handed it to her.

"What's this for?" she wondered.

"Your final pay," Slick answered. "In addition to it, I've enclosed a little bonus for bringing a crowd day in and out, even after you and the other girls drove away those producers."

"Thank you, really," the now former dancer thanked him. "When you get back, tell them that I'll miss them." The owner stayed silent as he got back into his car and drove away into the night. She looked over to see Crow giving her thumbs-up and to her surprise, Yusei actually standing after enduring a horrendous beating.

"Way to go," the laser marked guy said to her, showing no ill effects. "You won." She leapt over and squeezed him tightly. She was thankful the man who showed her kindness and gave her a steady home was perfectly fine.

"Thank goodness you're okay," Akiza sobbed in joy. "I just….uh…" She ran out of words and instead held him in her arms for a few more seconds.

"Now can we all go to sleep?" Crow interjected. "We can celebrate Akiza's victory in the morning." The hugging pair decided it was necessary to get some shut-eye and all went inside, relieved that mess was over and done with.

_Akiza managed to pull off an improbable victory, with 50 life points, no less. That deserves some merit. As for what happens next, who has the best idea? Try to make it reasonable and something that would happen in the actual anime continuity. Review if you wish and stay tuned._


	10. Chapter 10

_Back to Yusei's POV._

While I slept in my bed, content that Akiza had just won her first duel with the card I gave her and with a scratch amount of life points, my mind was racing at a mile a minute. I'm proud to see her actually win, but it was against someone fueled by rage, jealousy, and anger. I'm almost positive that I could've that guy on, had he not beaten the tar out of me. Crow, I'm equally sure he could've held his own against that club owner. Jack, it would be a definite "yes," provided he hasn't been drinking. Was it luck of the draw that Akiza managed to pull off that comeback? I can't honestly say for sure. Every duel is either completely controlled from the get-go, a back-and-forth shootout, or a defensive struggle. The only way her true abilities can be measured is to put her against some opponents with power. The only reason Jack and I have such intense matches is because he and I stack up really well against each other. I really do believe Akiza can be a top-of-the-shelf duelist, but one duel isn't going to measure her worth.

* * *

><p>My alarm clock went off at half past seven. When I stepped out into the hallway, I saw both doors were closed. Crow must be on an off-day, as he puts it. Jack was probably sleeping off another hangover or something. In an effort to keep them snoozing, I carefully tiptoed my way to the kitchen and down to the workshop floor. I peered down to see Akiza's eyes covered by one of those blindfolds designed to keep light away from someone sleeping. On the back of the couch, I noticed that she hung her hooded sweatshirt on it. I don't know what compelled me to go closer to her, but I went down there.<p>

"Don't wake her up," I repeated in my head as I dabbled my way to the couch. I could see her chest moving up and down as she breathed in her sleep. I reached over, gingerly retrieved that sweatshirt, and looked it over. This thing felt soft, despite having been worn, probably, numerous times before. My nose picked up a faint sweet smell wafting from the sweatshirt. Akiza must wear some fruity perfume. I think it smelled like….coconut, with a hint of wild berry. Whatever it was, it sure smelled good. No time to dwell on it now. I returned it to where I found and silently dashed up to get the newspaper.

* * *

><p>I rolled the rubber band off and opened up to a random page. Even though we live in a technologically-advanced society, I always try to find time to do some reading not based on a glaring screen. As I skimmed over the page I was on, I heard a pitter-patter of footsteps in the background. I looked up and saw a pair of green-haired twins running toward me. One was a boy, dressed in a blue uniform, and had his hair pulled back in a ponytail. The other was a girl, dressed in a magenta uniform, and had her hair styled into two large pigtails.<p>

"Yusei!" they shouted out to me as they got closer. Thinking quickly, I ruffled the paper closed, looked inside to see Akiza still sleeping, and turned to face the twins.

"Not so loud, not so loud," I said in a hushed voice. "My friends are still sleeping."

"But I thought Jack and Crow were heavy sleepers," the boy addressed me.

"They are, but we have someone else staying with us as well," I whispered back.

"What happened to your face?" the girl asked, pointing to the bruises and scratches on my face.

"It's a long story," I told them. "And you guys have school. But I'll fill you in when you get back, all right?" They looked at each other and then back at me.

"Okay, bye Yusei!" they said simultaneously as they ran off. I stepped back inside to see Akiza just now waking up.

"Hey you," she greeted me in a flirty tone. "What were you doing out there?"

"Uh…just saying hi to a few friends who're on their way to school," I admitted. "I hope you weren't disturbed by them."

"As long as you'll introduce me to them, I'll look the other way on this," Akiza bargained. "So what did you think of my duel last night?"

"You held your own and stood up against your boss," I surmised. "That's determination."

"Determination, eh?" the former dancer pondered. "Then how would you rate my skills, based on what you saw last night?"

"Well, I would say you definitely have skills," I calculated for her. "But I think you're gonna have to duel someone with street cred."

"What do you mean by that?" Akiza wondered, standing up.

"We may have to pit you against someone notable for using a particular theme, strategy, or monster," I listed. "Not to devalue your win, but I'm sure the guys and I would've fared better against Slick."

"That's understandable," she admitted, not welling up in tears. "But who do you think I should duel next?"

"We'll figure something out," I assured her.

* * *

><p>The day went on as well as it could have. To mark Akiza's victory against her angry owner, Crow recruited her to create another sauce with her unique touch. The sauce, dubbed "Stinging Rose," consisted of a finely puréed salsa, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, a few drops of habanero extract, and some sprays of rose water (chemical free, of course).<p>

"That's another for my line of sauces," the Blackwing wielder announced. "With a woman's touch, of course."

"I like the name," she complimented. As I watched on, I heard the front door open and my name echo through the building.

"Up here, you two," I hollered back. "There's someone I think you guys should meet." While they stomped their way up, Akiza discarded her gloves and Crow bottled her newest creation.

"Who's this someone you want us to say hi to?" the male twin asked first. I bent down to their level and motioned for Akiza to come over.

"Leo, Luna, this is my new friend, Akiza," I introduced them to her. "Akiza, these are the twins." The boy was the first to step forward.

"You have really pretty eyes, like a cat," he told her without fear.

"I like you already," she blushed, hugging the guy. I guess she didn't have much interaction with kids before. Luna was the next to step forth.

"I hope we can be friends," the female twin requested timidly. "I don't have many female friends." Akiza's heart melted and she reeled the girl so she could squeeze both of the twins.

"You guys are adorable," the dancer told them. "We'll get along great."

_The only thing I wanted to get done with this part was to add the twins to the story. Other than that, I would classify this chapter as filler. What do you think of how Akiza reacted to being introduced to the twins? Did it seem out of place for her or did I hit right? Also, who should Akiza match up with next? Put your thoughts in the reviews and we'll see what happens. Stay tuned._


	11. Chapter 11

_I'll put this part in omniscient POV._

Akiza seemed to hit things right away with the twins. Why wouldn't she? Leo and Luna were the kind of children that could get along with anyone. With time, they could view Akiza as a female role model, as long she doesn't reveal her exotic dancer past. While the male twin laughed things up with the former dancer, the small girl slipped away so she could ask a certain someone about a few bruises.

"Yusei, where are you?" Luna called out. "Ollie, Ollie, oxen free..."

"I'm down here," the guy answered back. He was putting a special polish that both treats bruises and hides them as well.

"What're you doing to your face?" the small girl wondered.

"Uh….Botox?" Yusei tried to lie. He saw Luna shaking her head in the mirror.

"You don't have much experience lying to people, do you?" she quizzed him with a raised eyebrow.

"All right, you caught me," her older brother figure admitted. "I got these bruises after being pummeled by Akiza's now former boss."

"What happened?" the small girl asked with a bit of concern in her voice.

"When I met Akiza, she wasn't….satisfied with her job at that time," Yusei sidestepped. "She told me she wanted to be a good duelist, but lacked the skills to be top-notch." He finished polishing his face, sat on the floor with his back to the wall, and had Luna sit next to him.

"How did she find you guys?" the female twin followed up.

"She arrived here during that late-night rainstorm not too long ago," the black-haired duelist explained.

"So that means Akiza's only been here two full days," Luna theorized.

"You're right on target," Yusei verified. "Anyway, her boss didn't it too well that Akiza just disappeared on him. He tracked her down, beat me up when I refused to tell where she was, and she beat him in a duel, with 50 life points left."

"Wow," Luna exclaimed. "She must've had her back against the wall."

"How do you and your brother find her? Is she someone you like?" the laser-marked former criminal asked.

"Well, she seems friendly enough," the female twin listed. "I think he and I will grow on her with time."

"That's all I ask," Yusei interjected, patting the small girl's shoulder. "She's gonna need all the support she can get from us." The older man helped his little female companion up off the floor and the two went to rejoin Crow, Akiza, and Leo in the kitchen. When they got up there, the two found the male twin sampling Crow and Akiza's newest creation with a few tortilla chips.

"So what do you think? Too overbearing, not overbearing, or just right?" the Blackwing wielder surveyed the boy.

"Well…." The pony-tailed boy mouthed between licking his lips. "I think this stuff needs some more kick. I mean, with a name like 'Stinging Rose,' you'd expect this stuff to put up a fight. It tastes good, I'll give you that."

"Since when does a 12 year old boy have food judging lingo?" the former dancer pondered.

"He…watches a lot of Food Network stuff," Luna stepped in. "It's one of his new favorite things now." Leo just shrugged at Crow and Akiza.

"I can be your taste monkey if you want," the boy offered, finishing off his last chip.

"Don't you mean test monkey?" Crow tried to clarify.

"No, I mean taste monkey," Leo emphasized. "You two might need someone to taste this sauce and rate it on heat." Akiza and Crow looked at each other and just went with it. For the time the boy and his sister were with Yusei and his friends, he added pointers on upping the sauce's bite and willingly volunteered his tongue to gauge the heat in each incarnation. After the boy managed to down an entire pizza, the "Stinging Rose" sauce had reached perfection on heat and taste.

"Well people, we did it," Crow announced, removing his goggles. "This sauce perfectly embodies everything about Akiza: it's sweet, but it can sting when you least expect it."

"I'll take Leo off your hands," the female twin interrupted. "We got school tomorrow. And it was nice meeting you, Akiza."

"Likewise," the former dancer agreed. The twins waved their goodbyes and they were off towards home. Crow started to clean up the materials and Akiza went to get ready for bed.

* * *

><p>The clock read ten minutes past eleven. Crow had already called it a day, and Jack was probably bar-hopping or something. So that just left Yusei and Akiza as the only two still up. Yusei had just come down to say "good night" to her and he got to see something tantalizing. From atop the part of the stairs that looked down over the workshop floor, Yusei was looking down at the former dancer, shirt off, brushing her hair. He couldn't tell if she had a bra on or not, due to her long flowing hair covering almost half of her back.<p>

"Now I can see why Slick wanted to get Akiza back so badly," Yusei thought to himself. "She is just…..wow." She re-donned her tight tank top and that was his cue to come down and see her.

"Hey you," the finely sculpted woman greeted Yusei. "I had a good time today with the twins and all. They're kinda like those kids in that _Cat in the Hat_ movie."

"Well, that's one way to put it," Yusei chuckled at her comparison. "Now if we could only get Jack to get on your good side."

"I know," she sighed, taking a seat on the couch. "But I guess you can't blame him for being paranoid. Since you guys are working hard for this grand prix thing, he should be skeptical of me." Yusei took a seat next to her.

"Well, there could be a way that might get Jack to be a friend to you," the former Satellite suggested.

"What might that be?" she wondered.

"If I can convince him, you can duel him," Yusei surmised. "You can show him that you're not a spy as long as you hold your own against him. Akiza thought it over for a second and wrapped her arms around Yusei's neck.

"Sounds like a plan," she agreed.

"Well, sleep tight," Yusei said walking away and up the stairs.

"You too," she responded. "And Yusei? I know it was you watching me earlier. I hope you enjoyed the show." Her last statement was in sort of a seductive and inviting tone. But how did she know?

_There you have it: Yusei suggests Jack should duel Akiza. Good idea? As for what he saw from Akiza, it was just a preview of what may happen for Yusei. If you want it to happen, just be patient. Review if you wish. One more note: with a suggestion from yours truly, Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL is now under "anime." If you don't believe me, see for yourself. Spread the word._


	12. Chapter 12

_3 weeks, this thing's been going strong._

Yusei needed to sleep on his suggestion of having Akiza take on Jack Atlas. On one hand, who better for Akiza to measure her skills against than a former world champion? On the other hand, Jack would quickly amass a victory before Akiza would know what happened. Even with all the sleep he could muster. Yusei couldn't come up with a better solution.

"If he is willing, Akiza will duel against him," the improvising mechanic concluded when he rose out of bed. He donned his boots, silently swaggered past the snoozing Atlas, and made for Akiza. When he got to the workshop floor, Yusei saw Akiza already awake, working on a crossword puzzle and listening to morning radio.

"Let's see, a 5 letter word for unrequited desire," she hummed to herself, not noticing that Yusei was silently treading up to her. "What might that be?"

"Good morning," he interrupted her train of thought.

"Hey handsome," Akiza answered back with a wink. "What brings you here?"

"I slept on it, I thought it over, and I don't see any other option," Yusei breathed, counting off on his fingers. "I think you should duel Jack."

"I won't argue with that," she added. "I've heard of how good he once was, and whether I get beaten out of the gate or stand strong, I'll take whatever experience you deem necessary."

"Jack's still sleeping, so I'll ask him when he's up," the mechanic informed his accomplice. Akiza watched him run up the stairs, as if it was happening in slow-motion.

"He looks good when he runs," she thought to herself. "Wait, I got it." The dancer snatched up her pen and scribbled down the word she was looking for: crush.

* * *

><p>One could tell just by the feel in the air that Jack was nearby. It's an uneasy and nervous feeling that makes you feel like you're going to be judged. That's the aura that Jack Atlas carries around him.<p>

"Anyone home?" Yusei questioned as he knocked on the former champ's open door.

"What do you want, Yusei?" the blonde duelist questioned back in a yawn. "This better be good."

"Are you still on the fence about Akiza being here?" the mechanic quizzed.

"Without a doubt," Jack affirmed. "I don't see how you and Crow can trust her so easily."

"She's a kind and caring soul that wants to be a good duelist," Yusei pointed out. "Even the twins like her already."

"What's your point?" Atlas fired back.

"I think you two should duel each other," Yusei suggested.

"Interesting," he hummed. "I can't remember the last time I dueled a woman."

"I'm just asking you to consider it," the mechanic laid out. Right as Yusei turned around and began to walk away, he heard a solitary footstep.

"I'll do it," Jack threw his voice. "I'll take on Akiza."

"Thank you," Yusei simply said.

* * *

><p>Once Crow was off the clock for the day and the twins were out of school, they stood outside in the courtyard with Jack, waiting for Akiza and Yusei to join them. They didn't have to wait long; the lagging pair stepped outside, this time around, the dancer was lent Yusei's duel disk.<p>

"Go get 'im," Yusei whispered before patting her on the butt.

"All right Jack, ready?" Akiza asked her opponent, trying to keep her blush down from Yusei's gesture.

"I'm always ready," the blonde duelist countered, drawing his five cards. "The real question is: are you?"

"I believe I am," she uttered, drawing five cards as well.

"Then let the battle begin!" Jack declared, à la Mark Dacascos, drawing to hold six cards. "I'll put in Archfiend Interceptor and place 2 cards face-down." In addition to 2 backs of a card materializing onto the field, a multi-armed fiend outfitted to look like a football player came into play.

"No matter, it's my turn," Akiza jumped in, drawing her sixth card. "I summon Botanical Lion." From out of nowhere came the plant version of the king of the forest, eager to swipe at something.

"With an extra 300 ATK points, it can tear up your monster!" she declared, signaling for her lion to attack.

"When you attack Archfiend Interceptor, it fires back at you with 500 points of burn," Jack explained, watching his monster torch out Akiza, reducing her score to 3,500.

"That doesn't bother me," the dancer shot back, continuing her attack.

"Then maybe my Shrink card will rattle you," Atlas countered, activating his face-down card. "Now your lion's only half a lion." Akiza watched in horror as her plant beast was destroyed and her score went down to 3,200.

"Guess I'll settle for a face-down card then," Akiza said to end her turn. In just one turn, she was already 800 points behind.

"You can do better than that," Jack boasted, drawing to hold four cards. "If not, then Dark Resonator will put it a stop to this." Next to the four-armed fiend came a shorter fiend, holding a mallet and tuning fork.

"With my Sakeretsu Armor trap, I can knock whatever strong monster he throws my way," the dancer contemplated mentally.

"Next up, I activate Noisy Gnat's special effect," Jack continued, discarding a card from his hand. "By dropping it into the graveyard, I can increase my resonator's level by 1." After that, both combatants and the spectators watched as Dark Resonator transformed into four rotating rings and surrounded Archfiend Interceptor.

"Behold, here's Red Dragon Archfiend!" Atlas bellowed as his signature monster emerged in a ball of fire.

"I'm ready for that thing," Akiza resisted.

"Burn her alive, my beast!" the champ declared as his dragon built up a fireball in its claws.

"I activate Sakeretsu Armor!" the dancer countered, flipping her trap up. "Now I can destroy your prized possession!"

"Then it's a good thing I have insurance in the form of Destruction Jammer," Jack interrupted, discarding another card. "Now I can negate any effect that destroys a monster on my field." Akiza quickly caught on as she saw her only hope of winning darken and get destroyed.

"Not good," she squeaked, bracing for the impact. Everyone watched in shock as Akiza's score dropped all the way down to 200 in one fell swoop.

"Your turn," Jack snickered.

"Stand strong Akiza!" Crow and the twins shouted from the sidelines.

"Don't give up," Yusei thought as he watched on.

_Lo and behold, Akiza's in the same situation from her last duel: low amount of life points and staring down a powerful monster. Can she rebound in the same fashion before, or, dare I say, crash and burn? Also, who caught my take on the chairman from Iron Chef America? Lastly, I'm thinking of adding my own ZEXAL story to be read. Good idea? Review if you wish._


	13. Chapter 13

_This thing's a gold mine._

"All right, reality check," Akiza quavered as she picked up another card to hold five in her hand. "I've got nothing on my field and only 200 points left. Jack, on the other hand, has Red Dragon Archfiend and all 4000 of his points. What do I do?" She scanned over her hand, looking for something that can stand to the behemoth looming over her.

"Make a move or surrender," Atlas commanded impatiently. "I am not fond of people who stall for time, especially during a duel. So hurry up!"

"Oh hush up," Akiza fired back, placing a monster card on the field. "Or maybe Gigantic Cephalotus will hush you instead." From out of the ground sprouted a mutated Venus fly-trap with legs.

"Weeds, nobody likes weeds," Jack commented on his opponent's monster. "But they all can burn."

"I happen to like my 'weeds,' for your information," the dancer retorted. "Especially when I can juice 'em up with Megamorph!" The equip spell placed below her plant card immediately rejuvenated with power and doubled its attack strength. Once he realized what just happened, Jack stayed quiet.

"It's feeding time!" she teased, sending her monster into battle. The once champ looked up and saw his dragon swallowed whole by Akiza's mutant plant thing as he lost 700 points, leaving him with 3300.

"That's what I'm talking about," she gloated over the applause of Crow and the twins. "I guess I'll finish with a face-down card then."

"She makes it look so easy," Luna theorized.

"This thing's not over yet," Yusei cautioned her. "Jack knows how to rebound quickly after losing his edge."

"No sweat," the blonde duelist calmly said, drawing to hold two cards. "My Mystical Space Typhoon will take care of your Megamorph nuisance." A gale of winds swirled for Akiza's equip card, ready to knock it down.

"I had a hunch you might do that, so I prepared for it," the dancer pointed out, playing her face-down card. "With Emergency Provisions, I can sacrifice my Megamorph and get 1000 life points back." She winked as an attempt to throw Jack off while her score went up 1200.

"No matter, I can handle this," the champ hummed. "With Axe Dragonute, I can mow down that weed." A dark winged dragon, wielding an axe, chopped its way onto the field of play.

"Okay, let's see what your big bad dragon does," Akiza mouthed in a straight face. Jack snapped his fingers, sending his monster after hers. One swipe of its axe and the "weed" was chopped in half, reducing Akiza's score 1050.

"After my monster attacks, it switches into defense mode," Atlas explained as his beast kneeled down. "With that, my turn's over."

"Then allow me to wow you again," the young woman requested, drawing to hold three cards. "I summon Twilight Rose Knight!" To her left appeared the purple armored knight, ready for battle.

"With its special effect, I can summon another plant monster to join my knight," she continued, designating Lord Poison as the monster to fall in line.

"I could get used to this," the dancer went on, initiating a Synchro Summon. "Especially when I can wield monsters like Black Rose Dragon!" Her best card descended from the sky in a stream of green light, waving its vines around, wanting to crush something.

"That thing looks like it wants to hurt me," Jack stated the obvious.

"How right you are," Akiza agreed, pulling a card out of her graveyard. "But with my dragon's special effect, it'll do more than hurt you." Black Rose Dragon chomped down on Botanical Lion and sent its vines at Axe Dragonute, switching back into attack position and draining its attack strength.

"He's got nothing to protect himself," Leo interjected, referring to Jack's situation.

"Let's do this," Akiza said with confidence as her dragon blasted the axe-holding dragon and took out 2400 of Jack's life points, leaving him with 900.

"I'll set this on the field and end my turn," she concluded.

"Their life points are almost even now," Yusei surveyed mentally. "I didn't think Akiza would hold up this well against him. Maybe she can win."

"I almost hate saying this in front of you all," Atlas uttered, drawing to hold one card. "But I can't remember being in an intense duel like this in a while. The only other duelist that pushes me to be my best is Yusei."

"What are you trying to say?" Akiza questioned him.

"I'm saying that your skills are almost on par with his," Jack answered. The dancer turned her head to see Yusei nodding at her.

"You got me right here, Jack," Akiza sobbed in joy, pointing to her heart. "Right here."

"I have that effect on women," the champ boasted, playing the last card in his hand. "So does Monster Reborn, which brings back Red Dragon Archfiend!" In a blaze of fire, Jack's signature beast flapped its wings to extinguish the fire that brought it back.

"Let's see what your monster can do," the dancer confidently said.

"You got it," Atlas agreed. "Red Dragon, attack!" It built up a fireball in its right claw and hurled at Akiza's monster, torching it and bringing her score to 450.

"I play my Michizure trap card," Akiza countered. "Since you sent my monster to the graveyard, your dragon must do an about-face and follow as well." Jack looked up as his dragon was destroyed for a second time.

"Looks like it's come to this," the former champ summarized. "We're both out of monsters and our hands are empty. First one to draw a strong and playable monster wins."

"And you're not worried about losing?" the dancer quizzed him, ready to draw.

"Everything's fine," he assured her. "In fact, based on what I've seen here, I'm convinced that you're not a spy. So take your best shot."

"With pleasure," she fired back, drawing what she hoped to be the winning card. "I play Violet Witch!" A stereotypical witch, with leaves covering her arms, faded onto the field. It raised its staff, shot a beam at Jack, and took his life points to zero.

"Congratulations," the once champion praised his opponent. "You did it." The twins showed their enthusiasm for Akiza's victory by running up to her and hugging her.

"I did it, I really did it," she thought to herself. "I beat Jack Atlas." While she let it sink in, Crow and Yusei came up and congratulated her as well.

"You have a knack for comeback victories," the Blackwing wielder added his kudos. "And you kept your cool against one of the most intimidating monsters in existence."

"You're on your way," Yusei interrupted.

"I am," Akiza thought. "Even better, my skills are closing in on Yusei's."

_Two victories against two powerful monsters. Akiza is getting better. What more does she need to do? I'll see if I can add one more part or put up a short story before the upcoming 4__th__ of July weekend. Review if you wish. I hope this story reaches 100 reviews just like "Your Shot." Who believes it's possible? _


	14. Chapter 14

_Let me brighten up your Independence Day weekend._

With a rousing victory over Jack, Akiza's knack for dueling was shaping up faster than Yusei thought possible. It was almost assured that anyone who took on Jack when he was New Domino's champion would be thoroughly beaten. However, the dancer didn't give it a second thought. She was able to beat Jack and hopefully win over his companionship.

After the twins had gone home for the night and everyone else was ready to call a day, Atlas stood looking down at Akiza, brushing her hair and deconstructing whatever makeup she had on.

"Akiza, might I have a word with you?" he said to get her attention as he trotted down to her.

"Um….sure," she quickly agreed, setting down her makeup tools and turning to face him. "What's up?"

"I've come to extend an olive branch," Jack writ. "The guys were right; you're a kind person who wants to improve her life. The three of us know how you feel."

"What do you mean by that?" the dancer questioned back.

"We all came from the Satellite, back when it was separate from the city," Atlas explained solemnly. "There wasn't a single day that went by that reminded us that we were at the bottom."

"I….didn't know that," she answered, taken aback.

"Yeah, well, now you do," the once-champ spelled quickly. "Learn what you can from defeating me and you will go far." He turned around to head back upstairs, only to be stopped by Akiza.

"What happened to that arrogant attitude of yours?" she pointed out.

"It's a little thing called humility," Jack summarized. "There are people that shouldn't be ridiculed for any apparent reason. They're just living their lives and I shouldn't say anything to take that away from them." He didn't say anything else as he walked up and through the kitchen, passing by an eavesdropping and silent Yusei in the process.

"Looks like Jack's patched things up with her," the marked mechanic thought to himself. "May as well see what Akiza has to say about it." The guy came down the staircase as he saw Akiza taking off her robe, revealing the tank top she surprised him with before.

"Hey, uh….you got a second?" Yusei asked after knocking on the wall.

"I can always find time for you," the dancer replied cheerfully. "What's on your mind?"

"I overheard you and Jack just now," he revealed. "Even though he didn't directly admit it, I'm guessing Jack trusts you now."

"Yeah, I kinda picked up on that," Akiza hummed. "How are you feeling after your….ordeal with Slick?"

"I've been through worse," Yusei waved off. "Granted, I haven't endured a thrashing in some time now." The dancer sat on the couch and requested, with her hands, for him to sit next to her.

"That's a big relief," she sighed. "The last thing I want to have happen is for you to get hurt."

"Don't worry about it," the guy assured her. "If I have to stand up for you, so be it."

"Your kindness is infectious," Akiza compared hastily. "I just…..don't…..eh…." Her thoughts ran short and without thinking, she grabbed Yusei's shoulders, brought him close, and laid her lips over his. The kiss may have lasted an instant, but it was the only way Akiza could get her point across.

"Well, I'll just be….going to bed now," Yusei stammered, standing up after their lips separated. "Sleep tight now." He didn't say anything else as Akiza fidgeted without end, afraid she might've set things back.

"Please don't hate me," she mentally begged while dozing off.

* * *

><p>As the night wore on for Akiza and Yusei, they continued to replay that scene in their dreams over and over. After all, who could really blame Akiza for acting like that? Here she was, taken in by a helpful soul who found the time to talk to her when they met at the strip club. Yusei continued to show her act upon act of kindness. Was it sexual tension or something else? Whatever it was, the two of them knew they had to address it.<p>

* * *

><p>When morning came, it felt like an eternity, what with all the thinking and simultaneous dream messages Yusei and Akiza had.<p>

"Anyone awake?" the mechanic yawned, still half-asleep. "I know you're here, Akiza. I can smell your perfume or whatever it is."

"I can hear you, Yusei," she answered back in a straight voice. "Still stuck on last night?"

"Pretty much," he answered back. "But I don't see it as a…bad thing."

"You don't?" the dancer wondered.

"It was getting to be too much for you," Yusei explained. "You wanted to give back after being shown the lighter side of life and you just acted on impulse." Akiza felt lighter from his words, floated over to him, and wrapped her arms around him in relief.

"You have no idea how much weight you just lifted off me," the dancer listed. "I honestly thought you wouldn't talk to me anymore. As for the kiss, I…..um….." Yusei quieted her by placing his index finger over her lips.

"You don't have to apologize," he tried to reassure her. "Nothing changes what I think about you. Given time, I might change my opinion of you…in a good way."

"And maybe I'll do the same," she replied in a smooth and seducing tone. "I've noticed how you look when you go up and down the stairs." To add emphasis, she grabbed and squeezed one of his buttocks.

"Keep working on 'em," she whispered in his ear before letting go and tending to her morning routine.

"That is some woman," Yusei contemplated, heading back up before he heard a whistle stop him. He turned to see Akiza blow him a kiss and wink at him as well. She clicked her tongue a few times like a dolphin and waved each of her fingers at him.

"I'll say it again: that is some woman," he repeated in his mind. Who'd have thought one small kiss could do so much? There was more to be had between them, much more.

_I'll leave it at that for now. For the American readers, I wish you an eventful Fourth of July weekend. I hope this cliffhanger makes you want to keep reading. Just stay patient. One more note: for the reviews, no short choppy ones or I will delete them. I'm tired of 'em._


	15. Chapter 15

_Let the story resume._

While Yusei went about his morning routine, he could still hear Akiza's playful words buzzing around inside his head. With Jack already out for who knows how long and Crow earning his "9 to 5," it was just the two of them.

"And maybe I'll do the same," her words chimed in his mind while prepping a pile of egg-based poppers for breakfast. While the microwave whirred in the background, the mechanic turned his head to where Akiza grabbed part of his butt. Was she just flirting with him or perhaps passing forth sexual advances?

"She is tempting, I'll give her that," Yusei thought silently while the microwave signaled it was done. He set the steaming plate on the table to cool, lightly seasoned the poppers, and went back to see if Akiza was ready. When he looked down at her, the dancer was back in her loosely-fitting Hard Rock t-shirt and straightening her hair out with one of those of curling irons. Plus, she was whistling an unrecognizable but upbeat tune.

"Um, Akiza?" the guy knocked to grab her attention.

"Hey, you," she flirted back, batting her eyelashes at him. "Just straightening out the mess that is my hair…" She shook her head in order to cool down and fluff the ironed hair.

"So I see," Yusei confirmed, scratching the back of his head to hide his gazing at her. "If you're hungry, I made us some egg poppers."

"Ooh, marvelous," the dancer tittered. "What are they?" She set her iron down and hopped up to join Yusei.

"They're bits of scrambled eggs rolled up, filled with different bits of meat and vegetables, breaded and deep-fried."

"Delicious," Akiza commented as she and Yusei treaded up the stairs, side-by-side, to get their fill. "Where are the other guys, by the way?"

"Jack's off wreaking havoc somewhere and Crow's most likely working," the mechanic spelled out. "So it's just you and me today, barring a work order coming my way."

"I like the sound of that," she lightly cackled, not seeing that Yusei had pulled a chair for her. "How 'bout that: good looking _and_ a gentleman. I'm impressed."

"I don't know about good looking," Yusei tried to deny while pushing Akiza close to the table. "And as for the gentleman thing, I'm just trying to the ever-helping guy my foster mother pegs me to be."

"Foster mother?" the dancer repeated as a question.

"What Jack never told you was that the three of us were raised in an orphanage as kids," Yusei explained.

"That's so sad," she sympathized, taking a bite of an egg popper. "What's your story?"

"There isn't much to tell," the mechanic lamented deeply. "What there is to tell just hurts thinking about."

"You can tell me," Akiza offered, reaching across the table and covering Yusei's hands with hers. "It's just us here."

"Very well," he sighed. "I don't know much about my parents right off the bat. I don't even know what they look like. Martha told me she found me on her doorstep as an infant."

"Were you able to find anything about them?" the dancer inquired eager to know.

"I have an indirect connection to the Zero Reverse accident that separated the city and Satellite ages ago," the marked duelist revealed. "The first Ener-D reactor my father designed and chartered had a meltdown. I can only imagine he did all he could in order to prevent it from happening."

"Who would've thought that under that kind and handsome exterior would be a boy that wants nothing more than to learn about where he came from," Akiza mentally compiled.

"That's all I know," Yusei sighed, looking down. The dancer got up, walked behind him, hugged him from behind, and laid her head on his left shoulder.

"You are undoubtedly one of the strongest, if not _the_ strongest, souls I've ever known," she confessed. "I always thought the girls and I at the club had it hard, having to turn our backs on our family and values in order to make a living, but then this comes up. I'm not going to forget what you told me just now. You're giving me a home and I should give you the moral support you never got as a kid."

"Well, I'm not sure if that—hang on," Yusei derailed, looking down at his beeper. "Looks like I have a job to do."

"You go out there and make a living," Akiza urged him. "I'll be here when you get back." The mechanic stood up and strolled down to set out wherever he was needed.

"He's doing all he can to make sure others have an emotionally satisfying life, including me," the dancer pondered. "He's also nice to look at." She came to a sudden conclusion that she hadn't showered yet and bounced off to scrub herself clean. (Male readers, imagine it how you want.)

* * *

><p>While Yusei was out completing his work order and Akiza showered, Crow rolled in through the garage, having got off work early.<p>

"Yo guys, I'm h—where's Yusei's ride?" the multi-marked duelist wondered aloud before hearing the sound of running water. Crow hypothesized (correctly) that it must be Akiza in the shower when he got back.

"This is perfect," the Blackwing duelist said through his teeth while retrieving a nearby video camera and rushing to find Akiza. When he came up to the closed bathroom door, Crow quietly kneeled down, turned the camera on, and popped part of the lock off the door so that he could see inside. The display screen showed Akiza's silhouette against the shower curtain.

"That's it baby, that's the stuff," the amateur camera guy whispered, trying to hold a perfect shot. Suddenly, the water stopped running and the dancer stepped in all her natural glory, fully nude, unaware she was being watched.

"Money, money, _money_," he sang quietly, heightening the pitch at the end. Akiza thoroughly ran a towel over her hair and shaking it dry when there wasn't any water dripping down. She dried the rest of her body in the same style; while Crow made sure she remained in focus and in the shot.

"Those things are bigger than I thought," he wondered to himself before the dancer wrapped herself in her robe and tended to her makeup.

"I got what I need," Crow snickered, turning the camera off and slinking away.

_How's that for a twist: video voyeurism by Crow? I hope it threw you all for a loop and satisfied those looking for something erotic in this story. As for what Yusei told Akiza, we'll just say she assumes that his parents are no longer living. Spread the word on this story: more readers are always welcome. Review if you choose._


	16. Chapter 16

_This thing can get to 100 reviews._

While Crow reveled in the splendor of his voyeuristic endeavor, Akiza continued to fix up her face for when Yusei would return. She wasn't quite ready to admit it, but her flirting was meant for Yusei. She was "growing on him," so to speak.

"Just a few more touches and….done," the dancer told herself, smoothing out her skin. "Perfect." She opened the bathroom door to step out into non-steamed air and sure enough, Akiza stepped on something small and metal.

"Did not expect that," she told herself, picking up the lock mechanism that Crow didn't put back. "Why didn't I hear this thing fall out?" The young woman waved it off and decided to alert either Crow or Yusei, if either one was home. She seriously doubted that Jack had any mastery with his hands. When she came to the work floor, Akiza saw Crow's runner parked where it should be.

"Crow, are you around here somewhere?" she questioned into the abyss. Her voice got his attention as the Blackwing duelist was rendering the footage he just got. Since he wasn't too far in, Crow was able to get out of the process quickly and hide his intentions before Akiza found him out.

"There you are," she greeted him, his back turned toward her. "I thought you were at work."

"I got off early," he said truthfully, spinning his stool around to look at her. "And I assume Yusei is off answering a job call."

"You assume correctly," the dancer affirmed, noticing the camera next to the computer. "What's with the camera?"

"This thing? Well, I kinda….dabble with, you know, filmmaking," Crow admitted.

"So it's not just hot sauces, but you're also a filmmaker?" Akiza summarized into a question.

"I wouldn't say filmmaker," the delivery man sidestepped. "But I have occasionally picked this thing up and just shot a few things with it."

"Interesting," the dancer commented, picking the camera up and examining it. "I never pegged you as someone who likes to make videos and stuff."

"That's understandable," Crow sided with her, walking over. "With all this preparation going on for the grand prix, my focus has gone away from this."

"At least you have a side interest, which I think is good," Akiza suggested, returning the camera. "I just wish I knew about this sooner. You could've filmed my wins over my boss and Jack."

"I prob'ly should have," he confessed. "But I'd rather save it for when you reach a milestone or accomplish a rare feat."

"I guess you're right, but there's no telling when that could happen," the duelist-hopeful sighed. "Just be sure when and if it happens, you get it down."

"I'll do my best," Crow promised, patting her shoulder to seal it.

"Thank you," she thanked the Blackwing wielder. "I'll let you get back to whatever you were doing." The dancer pranced up the stairs and out of sight, leaving Crow to think about what just happened.

"I know it's wrong, but I can't help it," he thought to himself, sitting back down. "But I'd rather it'd be her that finds me out than Yusei." The M-laser etched former criminal reconnected his camera to the computer and started the rendering process over.

* * *

><p>By the time Yusei had came back from his work order, Crow had already finished getting the footage onto the computer and also hid it (in the computer) where he believed no one would look.<p>

"Guess whose back?" the mechanic announced as he came into the kitchen, where Akiza was sipping from a cup of lukewarm tea.

"I see that it's you," she answered back, looking up from the table. "Things went smooth here, except for the bathroom lock falling off."

"That happens sometimes, but it's not hard to fix," Yusei countered, grabbing the lock off the table. "Just have to pop it back in." He disappeared for a few moments and then reappeared without the lock in his possession.

"You sure make things look easy," Akiza commented, shaking her head in slight disbelief.

"I just know to do a lot of things with my hands," the mechanic shrugged off. "When you live in the Satellite, you have to learn how to salvage what you can."

"I know one thing I can do with my hands," she purred. "Come here and I'll show you." Yusei said nothing as he stepped forward toward Akiza after she had stood up from her chair. Without warning, she put her face close enough to his face that each one could see the distinct features in the other's eyes and promptly grabbed his butt with both of her hands.

"That's just one thing," she breathed salaciously. "I can show you more later on if you care to see." In response, Yusei's mouth formed a small but eager smile.

"Intriguing," he hummed in a low tone. As he worked on his runner for the remainder of daylight, Akiza's words continued to echo in his mind like before.

"I can show you more later on if you care to see," her voice wrapped around his head.

"I surely await that," the mechanic hoped.

* * *

><p>When nightfall came and the time for Akiza, Crow, and Yusei to call it a day, Jack had yet to come stumbling through the door.<p>

"Is it normal for Jack to be gone this long?" the dancer questioned Yusei while giving her hair a good brushing.

"Three, two, one," the mechanic counted down before the front door squeaked open and a wobbling Jack being held up by a woman smaller than him with black hair and strange glasses came in.

"Thanks again for bringing him back, Carly," Yusei thanked the person who brought Jack back.

"No trouble at all, Yusei," she answered. "It's good exercise." The former champ stumbled down to the work floor and up the stairs without saying a word.

"By the way, who's your friend?" the woman asked aloud.

"I'm Akiza," the dancer introduced herself. "Yusei's letting me stay here."

"Nice to meet you," she hollered back, slowly backing outside.

"That's Jack's on-and-off girlfriend," the mechanic explained. "Carly's nice enough to hunt Jack down whenever he goes out drinking."

"Duly noted," Akiza answered. "I'd hate to be him when he wakes up." Yusei found that amusing and chuckled at it. She put her brush down and walked over to say good night in a particular fashion. She deftly laid her lips over Yusei's and managed to gain his taste, so to speak.

"Good night Yusei," Akiza told him before patting his butt again. "Sleep tight."

_I apologize for the lack of action in this chapter, unless you don't include the sexual hints I sprinkled in. Grade those for what they're worth. As for Crow's voyeuristic attempt, how should it be handled? Review if you wish._


	17. Chapter 17

_I think Crow may regret filming Akiza in her vulnerable form._

The night hours slunk as slowly or as quickly they could, depending on who you ask. The previous day had been an interesting one for Akiza, to say the least. She had learned of Crow's stride to be a filmmaker and she had also pushed the level of decency when it came to flirting with Yusei. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing in her mind. The dancer was taking a physical and emotional shine on him. Yusei was like a mixed bag of tricks to the dancer: every time she "hit" on him or just talked to him, she would get a different reaction from him. However, she wasn't quite ready to say that set of magic words that would show her still developing feelings for him.

* * *

><p>When the sun rose up in the horizon, a new day had begun. A few stray rays of sunlight peeked in through the front windows and gently stirred the dancer from her slumber.<p>

"Guess it's time for me to get up," Akiza croaked, rolling off the couch and onto her feet. She grabbed her makeup, toothbrush, and mouthwash from her backpack and set off to clean her face up from being planted next to a pillow. Upon reaching the bathroom, she came across a note taped to the doorknob. It was from Yusei. She pulled it off and examined the writing:

"Akiza, I'm sorry I couldn't be here to say 'good morning' to you, but an early call came in and a few others came as well. Anyway, I think it's going to be you and Crow for today. When Jack came home last night, he was also cited on public intoxication and disturbing the peace. He did manage to avoid jail time, since Carly had convinced Sector Security to let him pay his debt to society by having him be her extra set of hands and eyes in her journalist job for a while. I'm not sure how long we'll be gone, but my best guess is around when the twins get off school. Stay sweet, Yusei."

"He's so kind," she complimented him, lightly kissing the note before going inside to fix up her face.

* * *

><p>When she was done, Akiza's face reverted back to the sweet and simultaneous attractive look she worked hard to have. The dancer also theorized that Crow must be sleeping in. That left her to take a peek at whatever she came across the Blackwing duelist filming the day before. Sure enough, she found the camera still next to the computer.<p>

"All right, how do you turn this thing—oh, here it is," she started to ask before finding the on/off button. "Now, there should be something that says 'rewind' or 'playback' on here." With a little inspection, she found a button that she hoped was the "playback" function. Once it was set, her mind was in for a shock: the display screen first showed the bathroom door and an arm extending out and popping the lock out and onto the floor.

"That was Crow's arm," she mouthed to herself. "Why would he…" Her thought was cut short when the display screen her silhouette inside the shower, then her stepping out and drying off before the 3 minute clip went to black.

"He is in for it now," she steamed, squeezing the camera in her grip and stomping off to make Crow pay for his wrongdoing. Fortunately, when she came up to the kitchen, Crow was rummaging through the refrigerator.

"Good morn—ow!" he exclaimed when Akiza had his face, not once, but twice in successive attempts. "What was that for?"

"You are some other kind of sick," the dancer vented angrily. "How could you do this to me?"

"It….it….it's a weakness," he stammered, trying to compose an explanation. "See, not too long ago, I took this thing to a nearby park to see if there was anything worth filming."

"Uh-huh, sure," the dancer replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Then I came across a bush and thought there might be something behind it," Crow continued. "When I poked the camera through, I saw a woman, with her eyes closed, sun tanning in a two-piece swimsuit."

"I don't want to hear anymore," she quickly rattled, also trying not to cry. "I thought we were friends, but it looks like I'm just a pawn in your twisted game of….porn."

"Think what you will," Crow solemnly told her. "Go on; smash that thing if you must." The dancer lifted her arm up, ready to hurl the camera down but decided not to at the last second.

"I have a more fitting idea," the young woman suggested. "We duel: if I win, you tell Yusei what you did and hope he doesn't flip his lid. If you win, you can keep doing what you do, but it'll be way harder for me to trust you."

"You're on," the slap victim declared boldly.

* * *

><p>The pair donned their gear and went outside to the courtyard, not saying one word to each other in the duration. Akiza took her normal spot near the front door, as was during her last two duels. They drew five cards each, set their life point counters at 4000, and the match was on.<p>

"If you don't mind, I'll go first," the dancer growled, drawing to hold six cards. "I'll start off with a familiar face: Botanical Lion!" Right on cue, a plant-like lion hurdled into play, ready to hit something.

"I'll set this card face-down and end my turn there," she said in an emotionless tone.

"Looks I'm up then," Crow replied, drawing his sixth card. "Since my field is empty and you have a monster in play, I can summon Blackwing-Sirocco the Dawn without making a sacrifice." Akiza watched as his five-star winged beast flew in, ready for action.

"Your feathered friend will have to make an early exit, since my Bottomless Trap Hole destroys and removes any summoned monster with more than 1500 attack strength," the dancer gloated, playing her face-down card. She hopped up and down with glee, thrilled that she was getting rid of a powerful monster out of the way in the opening round.

"I can still save my monster with my Shrink card," the Blackwing wielder countered, quickly placing a spell card onto the field and successfully reducing Sirocco's strength to 1000 and dodging Akiza's trap.

"Impressive: you saved your own beast by taking its power down a notch," Akiza commented. "Well played."

"I think you'll find that I'm full of surprises," Crow fired back. "Like Sirocco taking on your lion!" The tall bird-humanoid let out a screech and launched itself into battle, with Akiza's beast counterattacking.

"Before my Blackwing lays a talon on your monster, I activate the effect of Kalut the Moon Shadow from my hand," he continued, discarding a card into his graveyard. "Now Sirocco gets an extra 1400 points of firepower." The young woman gulped as she her monster shattered by Crow's and her points dropped 3500.

"I set two cards face-down and that's it," Crow concluded as Sirocco's strength returned to its original 2000.

_How's that for a twist: Akiza winning this duel means Crow has to spill the beans about his voyeurism. Which side are you all on? Review if you wish and shoot me any ideas for where this story should go._


	18. Chapter 18

_Who will remain standing at the end?_

"Underhanded, I should expect nothing less from you," Akiza jarred, drawing to hold five cards in her hand. "You better hope Yusei's merciful when I tell him what you did."

"The duel's not over yet," Crow countered with an absolute. "Nothing's been determined yet."

"Then I've determined your Sirocco is no longer deserving of staying in play," the dancer spay, playing a spell card and discarding another. "With Tribute to the Doomed, your feathered friend goes bye-bye!" From out of her spell emerged a bright neon blue glow.

"I figured you'd try something like this, which is why I had Guard Mines ready to go," the Blackwing duelist instructed as his trap flipped up. "Not only is my monster safe, but 500 points of damage are dealt as well." Akiza's eyes looked shocked as her spell card was surrounded by explosives, blown up, and decreased her score to 3000.

"I guess I'll settle for a face-down monster then," she hummed to end her turn.

"I'll take my turn then," Crow replied, drawing to hold two cards. "I call in Blackwing-Mistral the Silver Shield." Next to Sirocco emerged a smaller bird with a shield for a mask.

"Go, Sirocco!" he commanded. "Attack her defensive monster!" The tall bird touched down on the dancer's defense, which was Mystic Tomato, and destroyed it.

"Since you were kind enough to 'slice' my Mystic Tomato, I can now summon another dark monster to the field, like, say, Revival Rose," she gloated as a red flower sprouted up from the ground.

"Then I'll get rid o' that with Urgent Tuning!" Crow interjected, flipping his other trap up. "Now I can Synchro Summon during this battle phase!" He held his arm while his two winged beasts flew into the sky and faded away in a stream of green light.

"Black Armor Master, let's do this!" he continued as an armored bird flew into the fray and streaked for Akiza's monster. Thinking quickly, she discarded another card that saved her during her first match.

"By tossing Hedge Guard to the graveyard, my monster will survive this attack but must give up half its attack points," the young woman explained as her rose withstood a powerful hit. She held her ground too while her life points dropped to 1150.

"I'll stop there for now," the voyeuristic cameraman concluded.

"What is wrong with me?" Akiza mentally criticized herself. "I'm almost down to 1000 life point and Crow still has all 4000. Is my rage getting in the way of my dueling?" She drew to hold two cards and beamed at her drawn card.

"I play Reinforcement of the Army!" she declared. "Now I can add a 4 star or below warrior straight to my hand." She snatched her designated card out and instantly summoned it.

"Say hello to Twilight Rose Knight!" the dancer continued. "Now my rose tunes with my knight!" Both duelists looked up as Akiza's monsters faded away, in favor for her ace monster.

"Black Rose Dragon, reign down on this perverted guy!" she bellowed as her dragon let loose a wind, destroying itself and Crow's Armor Master.

"That's not good," the Blackwing wielder commented.

"I figured you might say that," Akiza sneered as she placed the last card in her hand face-down.

"I'm not about to let this slip away from me," Crow thought, drawing to hold two cards. "But I know Akiza's going to remain mad, unless if she accepts my gesture when the duel is over." He selected a card and activated it.

"With Cards for Black Feathers, I can remove Gust the Backblast from my hand to draw two cards," he explained, picking the cards from his deck. "And I'll place one of 'em in defense position."

"Before you end your turn, I'm activating Wicked Rebirth!" Akiza declared as her trap flipped up. "By paying 800 points, I can re-summon any Synchro monster in my graveyard." When her score hit 350, Black Rose Dragon emerged from a wall of white light, ready to fight again.

"I had a feeling you'd do that," her opponent squeaked.

"Then did you predict this?" she quizzed him, immediately drawing and playing the card she drew. "With Pot of Avarice, I can rescue five monsters from my graveyard, add them to my deck, and draw two cards." Akiza selected Botanical Lion, Revival Rose, Mystic Tomato, Hedge Guard, and Twilight Rose Knight to return to her arsenal. After thoroughly shuffling them in, she drew two new cards, one of which would allow her to deal a jarring blow.

"First off, I'm activating Red Medicine, which recovers 500 of my life points," she listed as sparkles surrounded her and raised her score to 850. "Next is a spell that was used against me by that bastard I knew as my boss: Stop Defense!" Crow observed as he saw his face-down monster, which was Vayu the Emblem of Honor, forced to step into battle.

"I didn't expect this, but at least Vayu's still going to the graveyard," Crow gulped to himself.

"Black Rose Dragon, fry that chickadee to a crisp!" Akiza bellowed as her beast let loose a stream of purple energy from its maw, completely destroying Vayu and burning 1600 of Crow's life points.

"Finally!" she exclaimed. "I manage to lay down an attack and it's a big one!"

"Yes, but it doesn't change anything," the guy countered with a solemn tone. "The duel's done."

"What? You gotta be bluffing," Akiza disclaimed. "What other monster do you have that can stand up to Black Rose Dragon?"

"Wait and see," he rebuked, drawing to hold two cards. "Now I activate Vayu's ability: by removing it and another Blackwing card in my grave from my play, I can summon a Blackwing Synchro monster." In dramatic fashion, he pulled Vayu and Armor Master out of his graveyard slot and tossed them up in the air. Akiza's mouth dropped open as Crow's newest monster descended from a whirlwind of feathers.

"Meet Blackwing-Silverwind the Ascendant!" he yodeled as a thinner bird with large feathers, a wolf pelt, and two swords burst in suddenly.

"Now I'm dead," Akiza put it bluntly.

"Not just yet, but Junk Barrage will make sure of that," Crow continued, activating an equip card from his hand. "Silverwind, slaughter that dragon!" The sword-wielder heeded its command, zipped towards the dragon's neck, sliced at it numerous times, and turned its back as the dragon blew up, taking away 400 of Akiza's life points.

"The final blow comes courtesy of Junk Barrage, which takes half of your dragon's strength and deals it as damage to your life points," Crow finished while Akiza dropped to her knees in defeat. She couldn't believe it: after holding her own against Slick and Jack, Crow was the one who beat her first.

"What did I do wrong?" she breathed angrily. "Doesn't matter, though. I lost." Silently, Crow strolled over and offered to help her up.

"Even though you lost, you fought with valor, and that's always a plus," he told her as she took his hand and was lifted up. "But I think you have something to smash." He handed her the camera and turned around.

"Wait, you're not going to beg for forgiveness?" the dancer wondered aloud.

"That's up to you if I deserve it," the winner replied. "What I did was wrong and would be taken back if I was able to do so. It was a moment of weakness and I shouldn't have done it at your expense. I also understand if you don't want to talk to me ever again." She looked at the device in her hands and couldn't bring herself to crush it.

"I'm not going to break this thing," she told him. "I could tell during the match that your eyes showed remorse for your actions. And I'm sorry for slapping you earlier."

"I had it coming," Crow smirked as Akiza chuckled and wrapped her arms around him in forgiveness.

_This is what I wanted to happen. Vent your frustration if you shall, but I wanted Crow to let her know he regretted doing what he did, even though he won the duel. I also wanted them to share an embrace, to show these two can connect in some way. Plus, I wanted to give Crow a small main role for a bit. What do you all think? Good, so-so, meh? Review if you wish. So close to 100 reviews again._


	19. Chapter 19

_Two 100+ review stories. I didn't think one was possible for me._

After having made up and salvaged what little "face" Crow had, the two of them returned inside to put the bow on their repaired relationship.

"All right, just one more click and…there," the Blackwing wielder listed as he had erased the raw footage on his camera. "Just one more thing." Akiza watched on silently as Crow dug out the computer copy and deleted it as well.

"Is that everything?" she wanted to know.

"Mm-hmm," Crow nodded. "Nothing's left."

"Good," the dancer answered back. "Although what you did was vile, it's not the worst thing to happen to me."

"Should I know what it is?" he quizzed.

"Since I brought it up, I may as well tell you," she explained. "While I was at the club, there was a….pecking order of sorts. As you put in numerous hours or accomplished a notable 'feat,' you'd move up."

"And what's so bad about that?" Crow pondered.

"Well, when I started out as a dancer, I was stuck at the bottom," Akiza continued. "Whenever a degrading task came upon us, most often pleasing old and fat guys, it was passed off to the girl at the bottom, like me."

"I can only imagine what atrocities you were subjected to," the amateur cameraman commented.

"You don't want to know," she tried to wave off. "Anyhow, I kept quiet, did my work, and gradually moved on up."

"I don't think you're gonna keep quiet about what I did, are you?" the Blackwing wielder asked.

"That depends," the dancer composed. "If you are able to do something for that's heartwarming or whatever, but not over-the-top, then I'll overlook what you did. Erasing the footage was a start."

"Understandable," he summarized. "Well, I guess I should be getting on the road."

"I thought you didn't have work today," Akiza hypothesized.

"Not exactly," he countered, donning his helmet. "I just have a late punch-in at times, like today."

"Now I get it," she caught on. Crow saluted her as he drove his runner out of the workshop and out onto the streets.

"Now I just have to wait for Yusei to get back," Akiza thought to herself.

* * *

><p>Once his string of mechanical jobs were squared away and bringing the twins home, Yusei sped back to a hopefully patient and waiting Akiza. His runner carefully rolled down the concrete and through the open garage door.<p>

"Welcome home," the dancer greeted him from her couch.

"Did you and Crow get along while I was gone?" the mechanic asked.

"We had a little friction, but we were okay," Akiza listed. She knew what Crow did, at least in her mind, didn't need to be spread around like gossip. She endured a lot of it before Yusei came around and didn't think it had to follow her.

"That's a good thing," he agreed. "As I was coming home, I spied a place that I think you and I could go to, if you feel like going out."

"I'm on board with that," she nodded, putting her magazine down. "You are referring to a restaurant, right?"

"Exactly," Yusei confirmed. "It's an all-you-can-eat buffet, with meals around the world and stuff."

"Fine by me," the dancer said without worry. "This is also a chance for me to showcase the new clothes I got." She grasped a fairly large box in her hands and skipped off to the bathroom.

"I'll be waiting right here," Yusei called out to her before she disappeared out of sight.

"I hope this is a date," Akiza prayed mentally, going through her box. "Even if he doesn't refer to it as a date, it's nice to spend some time with him regardless." She got an idea of what she could wear and started preparing.

* * *

><p>Yusei paced patiently around the workshop floor, waiting for Akiza to finish getting ready. He passed the time by cleaning out his pager of old messages.<p>

"Sometime this century would be nice, Akiza," he thought to himself before he heard footsteps on the stairs.

"Tell me what you think," the dancer kindly requested of her hopefully-more-than-just-a-friend. The mechanic turned around to behold that Akiza had a tight and skin-hugging shirt with Smurfette on it. Her message was cleverly sprawled over Akiza's chest and read, "Hey Smurfie, my eyes are on my face." Sly, to say the least, just like Akiza. She also had a set of lady's cargo shorts on and dark blue shoes.

"You sure know how to paint a picture," Yusei complimented her.

"Aww, thank you," the dancer answered while skipping down to her date. "Let's get moving then." She grabbed hold of Yusei's runner and they were off.

* * *

><p>The two swung into the restaurant parking lot, parked their ride, and trotted inside. The first thing that caught Akiza's eye was how Yusei paid for their meal when they got inside.<p>

"You have a credit card?" she asked him.

"That's correct," the mechanic answered as he swiped the card and entered the appropriate information on the keypad.

"How is that possible?" Akiza wondered after they were all set and set off to find their table. "Doesn't all your work for the grand prix eat away at any funds you have?"

"Technically yes," Yusei surmised as they found a good spot. "But I get tipped very well at my job."

"Then I guess you do a good job," the dancer winked at him while they selected their beverage choices. "Does that also mean you paid for the card you gave me yourself?"

"You got it," he confirmed her suspicion. "I wanted it to be special for you. You deserve it, after all."

"It is special for me," she beamed. "Every time I've used it in a duel, it reminds me of you."

"Then I've done my job," Yusei refuted. "Shall we get something to eat?"

"Let's," the young woman answered. The black-haired man let chivalry take over as he let Akiza go before him out towards the food service area. It played into her hands; while she was in front of Yusei, she made sure to waggle her figure in front of him and only him.

"That is a woman," Yusei thought. "_That_ is…..a woman."

_This is the fastest I've gotten to 100 reviews. I thank everyone who has shown an interest in this story up 'til this point. As for what happens next, you all will have to be patient. I hope I can get to the climax between Yusei and Akiza soon. If you have ideas or suggestions, just shoot them to me._


	20. Chapter 20

_I apologize for making you all wait._

With a restaurant that allowed its customers to have as much as they want, it was certain that when Yusei and Akiza arrived, they came during peak business hours. There were lines upon lines for all the good stuff. Fortunately, Yusei had a strong sense of patience and calmly stood by until the foodstuff he craved was readily available. Akiza, on the other hand, showed her restraint until she got her chance. As if by chance, it was the dancer who returned to their table first, whilst Yusei filled up his plate as best he could.

"This looks delicious," she thought as her fork stabbed off a piece of Swiss steak. "And it is." Her stewed piece of meat was 1/3 devoured when Yusei came back with a slab of prime rib draped with brown gravy.

"Do you think you can finish that?" Akiza questioned him.

"I have a very good chance that I will," the mechanic calculated. "By the way, I think your...choice of attire has gotten more than your fair share of attention."

"What makes you say that?"

"While I was looking around, I overheard a few guys making reference to your exotic dancer days."

"I say let 'em," she dismissed with a piece of steak lightly obstructing her speech. "They can say whatever they want and make any wild accusations or assumptions. I'm past that."

"Still, doesn't it get to you in any way?" Yusei pondered.

"Of course, but not in the way you might be thinking of," the dancer countered.

"Explain then."

"I make sure I remember what people have said about me during my days pleasing the horny slums," Akiza listed. "That way, once I remake my image into something respectable, they'll retract everything bad they've said about me and watch me rise up in this world."

"That…makes a lot of sense," the mechanic commented.

"Here's how I divide respect: one-sided and two-sided," she compared. "One-sided respect means people only support someone without having much knowledge on the person. Two-sided is defined by gaining support for something notable and overcoming some form of adversity in your life before."

"And is that why you're trying to be a champion duelist?" Yusei quizzed her.

"That's one reason, but I've already told you the other," the young woman recounted. "When we met, you showed a genuine interest in me as a person. You talked to me, although briefly, and said you had a strong deck of throwaway cards. Then by that logic, a throwaway girl like me is even stronger for having been resigned to being at the bottom and trying to get out."

"I don't doubt your sense of resiliency," he stated. "After all, it was that resiliency that got you out of your boss' clutches."

"Thank you for that," she thanked him. "You're most likely the greatest thing that's happened to me, _ever_."

"I'm not that great," Yusei waved off. "When you came by and asked for my help, I couldn't say no. Simple as that."

"Regardless, I'm grateful for everything you've done for me," she rhapsodized. "And I think I have a way to pay you back."

"You don't say," the mechanic wondered. Akiza resumed to her meal, winking a few times whenever she and Yusei locked gazes.

* * *

><p>Their date didn't exactly end at the restaurant. Just to kill time, Yusei and Akiza drove in and around the city before returning to the workshop.<p>

"That was good," the dancer exhaled, stepping off the runner. "Tasty too."

"A full stomach leads to a full night's sleep," her date philosophized. "What do you think?"

"With what I have in mind, neither one of us will be doing any sleep," the young woman smirked. "I need you to sit down, though." All Yusei could do was shrug and flop onto the couch.

"Now what?" he asked.

"Just sit tight," she instructed him. "I'll be back." She kicked off her heels and hopped up the stairs, ready to put her plan into action. Lucky for them, they had the building all to themselves. She zipped into the bathroom and switched into something more…enchanting.

* * *

><p>"Yusei, are you still waiting?" she called from a cover of shadow atop the stairs.<p>

"With bells on my toes," he replied with an echo.

"Good enough." The dancer stepped out of the dark veil and descended down the stairs. What Yusei saw made his jaw drop: Akiza had brought back her sexy gardener outfit, except the top was cut in half to show her toned and sculpted stomach.

"Full of surprises, aren't you?" the guy chuckled.

"What makes you say that?" she purred, swaying her hips back and forth, and gliding over to Yusei. "This is just me." All that was missing was the pulsating dance music. Yusei's heartbeat started to accelerate. How could it not? He was getting a private show from an attractive woman.

"You look (ahem) marvelous," he complimented her.

"Well, it's all for you," Akiza told him. "I've decided that you are the only one my striptease expertise should be dedicated to." She made him lie down and stood over him on her knees, rotating her chest around.

"Uh…" the mechanic stammered in the presence of tantalizing beauty. "I'm kind of at a loss for words here."

"Then maybe this oughta leave you speechless," the dancer winked. First, she removed the rose from her bun and then untied it to have her long hair flow over her shoulders. Next, she unzipped her gardener's top to reveal her abnormally large but desirable breasts.

"Sweet mercy," Yusei whispered.

"Now all your troubles shall disappear," Akiza winked again, reaching down and unzipping his jeans. "Although I had to do other guys when I didn't want to, I held out hope that I'd find someone I _want_ to do."

"Does that mean—?"

"Exactly: I love you, Yusei." She leaned down and lightly pressed her lips over his. It was the kind of the kiss that said "I thank you by devoting my love to you."

"And I love you Akiza," he breathed softly. In the shadow of the moonlight, they went about consummating their newfound love for each other.

_There you have it, folks: Akiza performed a striptease for Yusei before doing the do. As for their conversation in the restaurant, I felt like it added depth for Akiza's character. Who says different? As for the story, it's complete…..for now. Once my "Missing Link" story is done or whatnot, I may decide to wrap up one last issue in this story. You might have to reread to find it. Review if you wish and thanks for reading._


	21. Chapter 21

_Bonus material._

The next morning arose in a veil of sunlight and a chorus of chirping birds. A few rays of sunlight snuck through the workshop windows to reveal a scattered mess of clothes and a sleeping Yusei and Akiza covered by a blanket. The sounds of the birds were what woke her up first. She rubbed the crust from her eyes and looked down at her newly acquired and snoozing squeeze.

"I'll let him sleep a little while longer," the dancer thought as she lightly kissed his forehead before standing up and hastily putting on her clothes. Plus, just to show she cared, Akiza also gathered Yusei's stuff and placed them on the far end of the couch, just beyond his feet. She gingerly stepped up the staircase to the kitchen and put on some coffee. While the grounds percolated, the dancer noticed a stack of cards next to the sink. She also guessed the stack was upside-down, since the bottom card was face-up. Akiza picked that card up and examined it.

"Stardust...Dragon," she read in her mind. "I think this is Yusei's deck." Then it suddenly hit her: when they first met, Yusei had sort of promised her a duel. Since then, Akiza had shown her mettle against her former boss, held her own against Jack, and clashed with Crow, despite losing just once. When the machine dinged as if to say "done," the light bulb went off over her head. It was time now to see if Yusei was just as good a duelist than a lover.

* * *

><p>Downstairs, the dinging of the coffee maker jarred Yusei from his slumber. He donned his trademark muscle shirt and black jeans and wandered upstairs to find the former exotic dancer.<p>

"Good morning," he greeted Akiza.

"Look who's awake," she answered back between sips. "Thirsty?"

"I'll pass," the mechanic waved off. "And what's the mischievous smile on your face?" Akiza didn't answer right away; instead, she handed him his deck.

"I believe you owe me a duel," the dancer requested simply. "You told me before how your deck is made of throw-away cards. I want to see them in action." Yusei stared down at his bottom card and made his decision.

"All right then, let's do this," he hummed confidently.

* * *

><p>Once the two duelists cleaned themselves up from the sweat and passion of the previous night, they stood opposite one another, outside the workshop, ready to duke it out.<p>

"'Cause I'm also a gentleman, I think you should go first," Yusei announced.

"Then I'll take that chance," the dancer answered, drawing to hold six cards and accounting 4,000 life points. "I'll start off with Revival Rose." From out of the ground sprouted a life-size rose with an eyeball inside of it.

"I'll set three cards face-down and leave it at that," she said to end her turn.

"In that case, it's my turn then," Yusei mouthed as he held six cards. "I'll start with Rockstone Warrior!" A storm of gravel and rocks combined together to create what resembled a golem that could fight.

"Rockstone, cut down that rose!" the mechanic commanded his monster as it stumbled forward, looking to complete its task.

"I activate Negate Attack!" Akiza countered, flipping one of her three traps face-up. "Now your attack is stopped and the battle's over."

"Then I end my turn right there," he said to conclude his opening move.

"I managed to stop you," the dancer celebrated as she drew to hold three cards. "But let's see you stop Rose Tentacles!" Her current monster folded into a portal, releasing an even bigger rose, equipped with an arsenal of tentacle-like vines.

"I'd like to report a weed infestation," Yusei attempted to zing.

"Very funny," the dancer added with sarcasm. "Here's another kicker: Ivy Shackles!" Her next trap flipped up and created a wrap of vines that ensnared Rockstone Warrior.

"What gives?" the marked man asked out loud.

"Whenever it's my turn, my trap makes all the monsters on your field into plants," Akiza explained. "Which is good news for Rose Tentacles!" The mutant rose swung its vines around without restraint, crumbling Yusei's monster.

"Just so you know, Rockstone doesn't take battle damage whenever it's destroyed," he pointed out from the recoil.

"Then this'll make up for it: Rose Tentacles deals out 300 points of damage when it takes down a plant monster," the dancer chipped in while her monster slapped Yusei a few times, dropping his score to 3,700. "Next up Blossom Bombardment!" Her last trap activated after Rose Tentacles finished its assault and whipped out 1,800 points of damage on Yusei.

"That'll do for now," she winked to end her turn.

"I gotta pick up the slack," her opponent wheezed, drawing to hold six cards again. "By discarding a card from my hand to the graveyard, I can special summon Big One Warrior to the field." A muscular and green tinted superhero burst into play, ready to fight.

"Next up, I play Debris Dragon," Yusei continued, bringing out a young dragon. "Plus, with its special effect, I can bring back a monster with less than 500 attack points from my graveyard, like Tuningware!" Next to the dragon came a small robot with a wok for a head.

"Small monsters," Akiza commented.

"They say big things come in small packages," the mechanic answered back. "And since I called a monster up from my graveyard, Doppelwarrior can be special summoned as well." Next to the wok robot appeared a spy armed with a crossbow.

"Now, watch as my monsters pool their powers together for a Synchro Summon!" he bellowed as his collection of creatures disappeared in a bright green light. "Watch out for Stardust Dragon!" In a sea of sparkles came a frail looking and periwinkle-blue dragon.

"Plus, with the special abilities of Tuningware and Doppelwarrior, I can draw one card and add some defense," he explained, while two smaller token monsters appeared in defense position and his hand count increased to three. "Now go for the gusto, Stardust!" His dragon lined up its maw and blasted Rose Tentacles into oblivion and scratched Akiza's score to 3,700.

"Since my monster was destroyed, Revival Rose can come back to the field," Akiza explained as the smaller plant sprouted up again.

"I'll set one card face-down and call it at that," the black-haired duelist said to finish his turn.

"I'm up then," the dancer interrupted, drawing to hold four cards. "I'll summon Twilight Rose Knight!" The armored warrior swung its sword and let out a battle cry.

"One Synchro deserves another," she added as her monsters flashed away in the green light and made a new force of destruction. "Stand and deliver, Black Rose Dragon!" A gale of petals revealed Akiza's signature beast, vines waving and all.

"I was hoping it would come to this," Yusei smirked. "But only one dragon can come out on top."

_This is what I hinted at the end of Chapter 20: Akiza wanted to see how well Yusei fought with weak monsters. Who should win this thing? I figured with the Labor Day weekend being in full force, I may as well dig out one of my recent hits. Review if you choose and stay tuned for the real conclusion. One more thing: for those who have difficulty writing duels, I can help. Just ask._


	22. Chapter 22

_This here's the last of the bonus content._

"I play Black Rose Dragon's special ability," Akiza announced, pulling a card out from her graveyard. "By taking a plant card out of play, I can switch one of your monsters into attack mode and take away its attack strength." Yusei stood his ground as Akiza's dragon grabbed hold of one his token monsters.

"I'm gonna win!" she shrieked excitedly as her beast hurled what could've been the final attack.

"You haven't won anything yet," Yusei interrupted with his face-down card. "With Defense Draw, I take no damage from this attack and I get to draw a card from my deck." The shrapnel from the attack scattered around him while his hand count went up to three cards again.

"Slippery little weasel," the dancer playfully said to her opponent.

"This little weasel has a few more tricks up his sleeve," the mechanic hinted as his hand count increased to four cards. "Like Silver Wing: it allows Stardust to absorb up to two attacks every turn." The dragon flashed a bright sky blue for an instant before it faded away.

"And for my next trick, my dragon will destroy yours!" he hollered. Yusei's dragon filled up its lungs and fired a blast of energy towards its target. Fortunately, Akiza had a trick up her sleeve as well.

"By discarding Hedge Guard, my monster will live to see next turn," she explained while her dragon withstood the attack.

"But you're still taking damage," Yusei pointed out while Akiza saw her score drop to 2,400. "Plus I'll set two cards face-down to finish my turn." The backs of two cards materialized into play, signaling the end of Yusei's turn.

"I'm up then," the dancer chipped, drawing to hold three cards. "Let's try Phoenixian Seed." A seed with an eyeball burst onto the field.

"Now what do you say we plant this thing?" she quizzed her opponent as her seed sprouted into a flower. "Meet Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis!" A multi-petal flower, a few of which formed something like a face, sprung into play.

"Have you considered being a botanist?" Yusei asked innocently.

"Maybe, but let's what Black Rose Dragon has to say about that," Akiza winked as she pulled another card out of her graveyard. "Now my dragon powers down yours!" The male duelist watched helplessly as his dragon had its strength squeezed down to zero.

"First, Cluster Amaryllis takes out your last token monster," she continued while her flower fired a series of petals, effortlessly snuffing it out. "Now I play my cluster's special effect: after it attacks, it gets destroyed, and whenever it is destroyed, you take 800 points of damage." Yusei tried to shield himself while his life points decreased to 1,100.

"Plus, since my cluster creature had more than five stars, Revival Rose returns to the field," the dancer signaled as the rose sprouted out of the ground. "Now watch it finish you off!" The rose fired a few of its own petals for its target.

"I play Scrap-Iron Scarecrow!" the mechanic interrupted with his trap. "Now your attack is stopped and I can reset my trap card." The petals flanked left and right before the scarecrow flopped face-down again.

"There's still my dragon to finish you off," she seethed as her dragon took its own shot.

"And there's still my other trap: Iron Resolve," he listed with his other trap activating. "By giving up half my life points, I can avoid this attack." His score dropped to 550 as a shield deflected the third attack.

"My turn's still not over," the dancer continued her move. "By taking my seed out of the graveyard, I can bring my cluster back to the field in defense mode." Next to the rose came the cluster in a blue color.

"I'll play this last card face-down and leave it at that," Akiza added to finish her turn.

"If I can't pull a game-changer here, Akiza's gonna win this thing," Yusei thought to himself as his right index and middle fingers rested atop his deck, ready to draw. "Here goes..." He picked up the top card and saw from out of the corner of his eye that it was what he wanted.

"You put up quite a fight Akiza, but this duel's done," the mechanic hinted as he held the winning card in front of his face. "I summon Junk Synchron!" A stout robot in orange armor came into play.

"And with its special ability, I can bring back any monster with two stars or less from my graveyard, like Tuningware," he added as the wok wearing robot rose up from the ground. "Now I tune them together to create Armory Arm!" The two robots disappeared in a bright green light to create a mechanical arm extension.

"Now I draw one card with Tuningware's ability," Yusei added as he made his hand count go up to two. "With this monster, I can equip it to another card on my field and increase its attack points by a thousand." He eyed it as the arm merged with Stardust Dragon, raising its strength to 3,500.

"Now Stardust Dragon, attack Black Rose Dragon!" the wielder yelled while his beast launched a turbo-charged blast.

"I play Sakuretsu Armor, which destroys an attacking monster!" Akiza countered as her last face-down card activated.

"I play Silver Wing's second ability," Yusei interrupted, placing the equip card in his graveyard. "If my dragon would be lost due to a card effect, Silver Wing takes the hit instead." Akiza's mouth dropped in shock as her dragon was blasted in half and her score decreased to 1,300.

"Finally, Armory Arm's second effect activates," he continued. "When the equipped monster destroys another monster in battle, you get hit with that monster's attack points as damage." She gasped as what remained of her dragon fell over her and brought her score to zero. Akiza fell to her knees, not in disappointment, but in amazement and disbelief.

"That was...unreal," the dancer breathed. "You were telling the truth; almost all of your monsters had low strength, yet they combined to create...that dragon."

"That's the nature of dueling," Yusei answered back. "Countless cards exist for duelists to take hold and make them part of a strategy. You have yours and there's nothing you can't with them." He helped her up and she readily wrapped her arms around him.

"You really mean that?" Akiza asked hopefully.

"100 percent of it," Yusei confirmed. "I knew from that day we met that you had potential, and you've showed it in every duel. Perhaps, with enough practice, you could actually defeat me." The dancer rolled her eyes at his last remark and stuck her lips on his.

"That's another duel for another day," she winked in a salacious tone. "Besides, we have the workshop to ourselves for a while longer. What do you say we make the most of it?" She led him back inside and what they did for the time they were alone was anyone's guess. Akiza had shown in the time she was around Yusei and his friends that she was more than just a set of legs, a fantastic chest, and a sculpted body. She had the will to be a champion, but it was Yusei who helped her gain the heart of a champion.

_I like that little epilogue thing at the end there. Unless you know what "salacious" means, you won't have an idea of what Akiza and Yusei did after their duel. The story is now officially over. The reviews I've garnered with this are the most I have on any story to date. As for what I have next, I've got two ideas in mind, but you may not see anything from me for some time now. If anyone has any other suggestions that they think I could do, just shoot them to me. One stipulation: they have to be "one-shots." So long for now and thank you for reading. _


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